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THE 

AMERICAN REFORMED 



CATTLE DOCTOR; 

CONTAINING 

THE NECESSARY INFORMATION 



PRESERVING THE HEALTH AND CURING THE DISEASES 

OF 

OXEN, COWS, SHEEP, AND SWINE, 

WITH 

A GREAT VARIETY OF ORIGINAL RECIPES, 

AND 

VALUABLE INFORMATION IN REFERENCE TO 

FARM AND DAIRY MANAGEMENT; 

WHEREBY 

EVERY MAN CAN BE HIS OWN CATTLE DOCTOR. 

THE PRINCIPLES TAUGHT IN THIS WORK. ARE, THAT ALL MEDICATION SHALL 
BE SUBSERVIENT TO NATURE; THAT ALL MEDICINAL AGENTS MUST BE 
SANATIVE IN THEIR OPERATION, AND ADMINISTERED WITH A 
VIEW OF AIDING THE VITAL POWERS, INSTEAD OF DE- 
PRESSING, AS HERETOFORE, WITH THE LANCET 
AND POISON. 

BY 

G. H. DADD, M. D., VETERINARY PRACTITIONER, 

AUTHOR OF "ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE HORSE." 



BOSTON: 
J. G. TILTON AND COMPANY, 

326 Washington Street. 

18 5 1. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1851, by 

G. H. DADD, M. D., 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of Massachusetts. 



STEREOTYPED AT THE 
BOSTON STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY. 






.5> 



\1 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Introduction, • 9 

CATTLE. 

Importance of supplying Cattle with, pure "Water, 15 

Remarks on feeding Cattle, 17 

The Barn and Feeding Byre, 21 

Milking, 24 

Knowledge of Agricultural and Animal Chemistry important to Farmers, 25 

On Breeding, 30 

The Bull, 34 

Value of Different Breeds of Cows, 35 

Method of preparing Rennet, as practised in England, 36 

Making Cheese, < 37 

Gloucester Cheese, 38 

Chester Cheese, 39 

Stilton Cheese, 40 

Dunlop Cheese, 41 

Green Cheese, 42 

Making Butter, 44 

"Washing Butter, 45 

Coloring Butter 46 

Description of the Organs of Digestion in Cattle, 47 

Respiration and Structure of the Lungs, 53 

Circulation of the Blood, 54 

The Heart viewed externally, 55 

Remarks on Blood-letting, * 58 

Efforts of Nature to remove Disease, 67 

Proverbs of the Veterinary Reformers, 70 

An Inquiry concerning the Souls'of Brutes, 72 

The Reformed Practice — Synoptical View of the Prominent Systems of 

Medicine, 75 

Creed of the Reformers, 79 

True Principles, 80 

Inflammation, 88 

Remarks, showing that very little is known of the Nature and Treatment 

of Disease, 94 

Nature, Treatment, and Causes of Disease in Cattle, 105 

Pleuro-Pneumonia, 107 

Locked-Jaw, 115 

Inflammatory Diseases 121 

Inflammation of the Stomach, (Gastritis,) 121 

Inflammation of the Lungs, (Pneumonia,) 122 

Inflammation of the Bowels, (Enteritis. — Inflammation of the Fibro- 

Muscular Coat of the Intestines,) 124 

Inflammation of the Peritoneal Coat of the Intestines, (Peritonitis,) 125 

Inflammation of the Kidneys, (Nephritis,) 125 

Inflammation of the Bladder, (Cystitis,) 126 

Inflammation of the Womb, 126 

Inflammation of the Brain, (Phrenitis,) 127 



O CONTENTS. 

Inflammation of the Eye, 128 

Inflammation of the Liver, (Hepatitis,) 128 

Jaundice, or Yellows, 130 

Diseases of the Mucous Surface, 132 

Catarrh, or Hoose, . ... 133 

Epidemic Catarrh 134 

Malignant Epidemic, (Murrain,) 135 

Diarrhoea, (Looseness of the Bowels,) 136 

Dysentery, 138 

Scouring Rot, 139 

Disease of the Ear, 140 

Serous Membranes, 140 

Dropsy, 141 

Hoove, or " Blasting," 144 

Joint Murrain, 147 

Black Quarter, 149 

Open Joint, . . 151 

Swellings of Joints, 152 

Sprain of the Fetlock, 153 

Strain of the Hip, 154 

Eoul in the Foot, 154 

Red Water, 157 

Black Water, 160 

Thick Urine, 160 

Rheumatism, 161 

Blain, 162 

Thrush, 163 

Black Tongue, 163 

Inflammation of the Throat and its Appendages, 163 

Bronchitis, 164 

Inflammation of Glands, 164 

Loss of Cud, 166 

Colic, 166 

Spasmodic Colic, 167 

Constipation, , . . , 168 

Falling down of the Fundament, 171 

Calving, 171 

Embryotomy, 175 

Falling of the Calf-Bed, or Womb, 176 

Garget, 177 

Sore Teats, 178 

Chapped Teats and Chafed Udder, 178 

Fever, 178 

Milk or Puerperal Fever, 182 

Inflammatory Fever, 183 

Typhus Fever, 186 

Horn Ail in Cattle, 189 

Abortion in Cows, 191 

Cow-Pox, 194 

Mange, 195 

Hide-bound, 196 

Lice, 196 

Importance of keeping the Skin of Animals in a Healthy State 197 

Spaying Cows 201 

Operation of Spaying 204 

SHEEP. 

Preliminary Remarks, 209 

Staggers, * 219 

Foot Rot, 220 

Rot, 221 



CONTENTS. 7 

Epilepsy, 222 

Bed Water 223 

Cachexy, or General Debility, 224 

Loss of Appetite, 224 

Foundering, (Rheumatism,) 224 

Ticks, 225 

Scab, or Itch, 225 

Diarrhoea, 227 

Dysentery, 227 

Constipation, or Stretches, 228 

Scours, 230 

Dizziness, 231 

Jaundice, 232 

Inflammation of the Kidneys, 232 

Worms, 233 

Diseases of the Stomach from eating Poisonous Plants, 233 

Sore Nipples, . , 234 

Fractures, 234 

Common Catarrh and Epidemic Influenza, 235 

Castrating Lambs, 236 

Nature of Sheep, 237 

The Ram, 238 

Leaping, 239 

Argyleshire Breeders, 239 

Fattening Sheep, 240 

Improvement in Sheep 244 

Description of the Different Breeds of Sheep, 249 

Teeswater Breed 249 

Lincolnshire Breed, 250 

Dishley Breed, 250 

Cotswold Breed, 250 

Romney Marsh Breed, 251 

Devonshire Breed, 251 

Dorsetshire Breed, 251 

Wiltshire Breed, 252 

South Down Breed, 252 

Herdwick Breed, 253 

Cheviot Breed, 253 

Merino Breed, 253 

Welsh Sheep, 254 

SWINE. 

Preliminary Remarks, 255 

Natural History of the Hog, 259 

Generalities, 262 

General Debility, or Emaciation, 263 

Epilepsy, or Fits, 264 

Rheumatism, 264 

Measles, 265 

Ophthalmia, 266 

Vermin 266 

Red Eruption, 267 

Dropsy, 267 

Catarrh, 267 

Colic 268 

Diarrhoea, 268 

Frenzy, 268 

Jaundice, 269 

Soreness of the Feet, , , , , 269 



8 CONTENTS. 

Spaying, 270 

Various Breeds of Swine, 271 

Berkshire Breed, . 271 

Hampshire Breed, 271 

Shropshire Breed, 272 

Chinese Breed, 272 

Boars and Sows for Breeding, 272 

Rearing Pigs, 273 

Fattening Hogs, 275 

Method of Curing Swine's Flesh, 277 

APPENDIX. 

On the Action of Medicines, 279 

Clysters, 281 

Forms of Clysters, 283 

Infusions, 286 

Antispasmodics, 287 

Fomentations, 287- 

Mucilages, . 289 

"Washes, 289 

Physic for Cattle, 290 

Mild Physic for Cattle, . . 291 

Poultices, 292 

Styptics, to arrest Bleeding, 296 

Absorbents, 296 

Forms of Absorbents, 297 

VETERINARY MATERIA MEDICA, embracing a List of the various 
Remedies used by the Author of this Work in the Practice of 

Medicine on Cattle, Sheep, and Swine, 299 

General Remarks on Medicines, 312 

Properties of Plants, 315 

Potato, 316 

TREATMENT OF DISEASE IN DOGS -^Preliminary Remarks, .... 323 

Distemper, 325 

Fits, , 326 

Worms, 327 

Mange, 328 

Internal Abscess of the Ear, 329 

Ulceration of the Ear 329 

Inflammation of the Bowels, . 329 

Inflammation of the Bladder, 330 

Asthma, 331 

Piles, - 331 

Dropsy, 332 

Sore Throat, 332 

Sore Ears, 332 

Sore Feet, 333 

Wounds, 333 

Sprains, 333 

Scalds, 334 

Ophthalmia, , 334 

Weak Eyes, 335 

Fleas and Vermin, 335 

Hydrophobia, 335 

MALIGNANT MILK SICKNESS of the Western States, or Contagious 

Typhus, 339 

BONE DISORDER IN COWS, 351 



INTRODUCTION. 



There is no period in the history of the United States 
when our domestic animals have ranked so high as at the 
present time ; yet there is no subject on which there is such 
a lamentable want of knowledge as the proper treatment of 
their diseases. 

Governor Briggs, in a recent letter to the author, says, 
" You have my thanks, and, in my opinion, are entitled to the 
thanks of the community, for entering upon this important 
work. While the subject has engaged the attention of scien- 
tific men in other countries, it has been too long neglected in 
our own. Cruelty and ignorance have marked our treatment 
to diseased animals. Ignorant himself both of the disease 
and the remedy, the owner has been in the habit of adminis- 
tering the popular remedy of every neighbor who had no 
better powers of knowing what should be done than himself, 
until the poor animal, if the disease would not have proved 
fatal, is left alone, until death, with a friendly hand, puts 
a period to his sufferings : he is, however, often destroyed 
by the amount or destructive character of the remedies, or 
else by the cruel mode of administering them. I am per- 
suaded that the community will approve of your exertions, 
and find it to their interest to support and sustain your sys- 
tem." 

The author has labored for several years to substitute a 
safer and a more efficient system of medication in the treat- 
2 



10 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

ment of diseased animals, and at the same time to point out to 
the American people the great benefits they will derive from 
the diffusion of veterinary education. 

That many thousands of our most valuable cattle die under 
the treatment, which consists of little else than blood-letting, 
purging, and blistering, no one will deny ; and these danger- 
ous and destructive agents are frequently administered by 
men who are totally unacquainted with the nature of the 
agents they prescribe. But a better day is dawning ; veter- 
inary information is loudly called for — demanded ; and the 
farmers will have it ; but it must he a safer and a more 
efficient system than that heretofore practised. 

The object of the veterinary art is not only congenial with 
human medicine, but the very same paths that lead to a 
knowledge of the diseases of man lead also to a knowledge 
of those of brutes. 

Our domestic animals deserve consideration at our hands. 
We have tried all manner of experiments on them for the 
benefit of science ; and science and scientific men should do 
something to repay the debt, by alleviating their sufferings 
and improving their condition. We are told that physicians 
of all ages have applied themselves to the dissection of ani- 
mals, and that it was by analogy that those of Greece and 
Rome judged of the structure of the human body. For ex- 
ample, the Greeks and Arabians confined themselves to the 
dissection of apes and other quadrupeds. Galen has given us 
the anatomy of the ape for that of man ; and it is clear that 
his dissections were restricted to brutes, when he says, that 
" if learned physicians have been guilty of gross errors, it is 
because they neglected to dissect animals." We advocate 
the establishment of veterinary schools, and the cultivation 
of our reformed system of veterinary medicine, on the broad 
principles of humanity. These poor animals are as suscepti- 
ble to pain and suffering as we are. Has not the Almighty 
given us dominion over them, and placed them under our 
protection? Have we done our duty by them? Can we 
render a good account of our stewardship ? 



INTRODUCTION. 1 1 

In almost every department of science the spirit of inquiry- 
is abroad, investigation is active j yet, in this department, 
every thing is left to chance and ignorance. Men of all pro- 
fessions find it for their interest to protect property. The 
merchant, previous to sending his vessel on a voyage to a 
distant port, seeks out a skilful navigator to pilot that vessel 
into her desired haven with safety. He protects his property. 
We protect our property against the ravages of fire by insur- 
ance — we defend our houses from the lightning by conduct- 
ing that fluid down the sides of the building into the earth. 
And shall we not protect our animals ? Is not property in- 
vested in live stock as valuable, in proportion, as that invested 
in real estate ? Can we permit live stock to degenerate and 
die prematurely from a want of knowledge of the fundamen- 
tal laws of their being ? Can we look on and see their heart's 
blood drawn from them — their flesh setoned, burned, and 
blistered — simply because it was the misguided custom of our 
ancestors ? 

We appeal to the American people at large. They have great 
encouragement to educate young men in this important branch 
of study ; for the beneficial results will be, that the diseases 
of all classes of domestic animals will be better understood, 
and the great losses which this country sustains will, in a few 
years, be materially diminished. This is not all. The value 
of live stock will be increased at least twenty-five per cent ! 

Look for a moment at the amount of capital invested in 
live stock ; and from these statistics the reader will perceive 
that not only the farmers, but the whole nation, will be en- 
riched. There are in the United States at least 6,000,000 
horses and mules ; these, at the rate of $50 per head, amount to 
$300,000,000. It is also estimated that there are 20,000,000 
of neat cattle ; reckon these at $25 per head, and we get the 
snug little sum of $500,000,000. We have also 20,000,000 
sheep, worth the same number of dollars. The number of 
swine have been computed at 24,000,000 ; and these, at $3 
per head, give us $72,000,000. Hence the reader will see 
that the capital invested in this class of live stock reaches the 



12 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

enormous sum of $892,000,000. Add the 25 per cent, just 
alluded to, and we get a clear gain of $223,000,000. This 
sum would be sufficient to build veterinary schools and col- 
leges capable of affording ample accommodations to e very- 
farmer's son in the Union. Hence we entreat the farming 
community" to ponder on these subjects. They have only to 
say the word, and schools for the dissemination of veterinary 
information shall spring up in every section of the Union. 

Does the reader wish to know how the farmers can accom- 
plish this important object ? We answer, there are four mil- 
lions of men engaged in agricultural pursuits. Their number 
is three times greater than that of those engaged in naviga- 
tion, the learned professions, commerce, and manufactures. 
Hence they have the numerical power to control the govern- 
ment of these United States, and of course can plead their 
own cause in the halls of congress, and vote their own sup- 
plies for educational purposes. 

When the author first commenced a warfare against the 
lancet and other destructive agents, his only hopes of success 
were based on the cooperation of this mighty host of hus- 
bandmen ; he well knew that there were many prejudices to 
be overcome, and none greater than those existing among his 
brethren of the same profession. The farmers have just begun 
to see the absurdity of bleeding an animal to death, with a 
view of saving life ; or pouring down their throats powerful 
and destructive agents, with a view of making one disease to 
cure another ! If the cattle doctors, then, will not reform, 
they must be reformed through the giant influence of popular 
opinion. Already the cry is, and it emanates from some of 
the most influential agriculturists in the country, — " No more 
Mood- letting ! " " Use your poisons on yourselves" 

To the cattle-rearing interest, at the hands of many of whom 
the author has received aid and encouragement, the following 
pages are dedicated ; they are intended to furnish them with 
practical information, with a view of preventing disease, in- 
creasing the value of their stock, and restoring them to health 
when sick. 



INTRODUCTION. 13 

In reference to our reformed system of veterinary medica- 
tion, it will be sufficient, in the present place, just to glance 
at the fundamental principles. In the succeeding pages these 
principles will be more fully explained. We contemplate the 
animal system as a complicated piece of mechanism, subject 
to the uncompromising and immutable laws of nature, as they 
are written upon the face of animate nature by the finger of 
Omnipotence. 

All our intentions of cure being in accordance with nature's 
laws, (viz., promoting the integrity of the living powers,) we 
have termed our system a physiological one, though it is some- 
times termed botanic, in allusion to the fact that most of our 
remedial agents are derived from the vegetable kingdom. We 
recognize a conservative or healing power in the animal econ- 
omy, whose unerring indications we endeavor to follow ; con- 
sidering nature the physician, and the doctor her servant. 

Our system proposes, under all circumstances, to restore the 
diseased organs to a healthy state, by cooperating with the 
vitality remaining in those organs, by the exhibition of sana- 
tive means, and, under all circumstances, to assist, and not 
oppose, nature in her curative processes. Poisonous sub- 
stances, blood-letting, or processes of cure that act pathologi- 
cally, cannot be used by us. The laws of animal life are 
physiological : they never were, nor ever will be, pathological. 

The agents we use are just as we find them in the forest 
and the field, compounded by the Great Physician. Hence 
the reader will perceive that our aim is to depart from the 
popular debilitating and life-destroying practice, and approach 
as near as possible to the sanative. 

G. H. D. 



THE 



AMERICAN 

REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR 



IMPORTANCE OF SUPPLYING CATTLE WITH PURE WATER. 

In order to prevent many of the diseases to which cattle 
are liable, it is important that they be supplied with pure 
water. Cattle have often been known to turn away from the 
filthy fluid found in some troughs, which abound in slime 
and decayed vegetable matter ; and, indeed, the common stag- 
nated pond water is no better than the former. Such water 
has, in former years, proved itself to be a serious cause of 
disease ; and, at the present day, death is running riot among 
the stock of our western, and also our northern farmers, when, 
to our certain knowledge, the cause exists, in some cases, 
under their very noses. The farmers ofttimes see their best 
stock sicken and die without any apparent cause ; and the 
cattle doctors are running rough-shod through the materia 
medica, pouring down the throats of the poor brutes salts by 
the pound, castor oil by the quart ; aloes, lard, and a host of 
kindred trash, follow in rapid succession, converting the 
stomach into a sort of apothecary's shop ; setons are inserted 
in the " dewlap ; " the horns are bored, and sometimes sawed 
off ; and, as a last resort, the animals are blistered and bled. 
They sometimes recover, in spite of the violence done to the 
constitution ; yet they drag out a low form of vitality, living, 



16 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

it may be said, yet half dead, until some friendly epidemic 
puts a period to their sufferings. 

The author's attention was first called to this subject on 
reading an article in an English work, the substance of which 
is as follows : A number of working oxen were put into a 
pasture, in which was a pond, considered to abound in good 
water. Soon after putting them there, they were attacked 
with scouring, upon which they were immediately removed 
to another field. The scouring continued. They still, how- 
ever, drank at the same pond. They were shifted to another 
piece of very sweet pasture without arresting the disease. 
The farmer thought it evident that the pastures were not the 
cause of the disease ; and, contrary to the advice of his 
friends, who affirmed that the spring was always noticed for 
the excellence of its water, fenced his pond round, so that the 
cattle could not drink ; they were then driven to a distance 
and watered. The scouring gradually disappeared. The 
farmer now proceeded to examine the suspected pond ; and, 
on stirring the water, he found it all alive with small crea- 
tures. He now stirred into the water a quantity of lime, and 
soon after an immense number of animalculse were seen dead 
on the surface. In a short time, the cattle drank of this water 
without any injurious results. 

There is no doubt but that inferior kinds of water produce 
derangement of the digestive organs, and subsequently loss 
of flesh, debility, &c. We have frequently made post mortem 
examinations of animals that have died from disease induced 
by debility, and have often found a large number of worms 
in the stomach and intestines, which, we firmly believe, had 
their origin either primarily from the water itself, or subse- 
quently from its effects on the digestive function. 

All decayed animal and vegetable matter tends to corrupt 
water, and render it unfit for the purposes of life. Now, if 
the farmer has the best spring in the world, and the water 
shall flow from it, as it sometimes does, through whole fields 
of gutter or dike, abounding in decayed filth, such water will 
be impregnated with agents that will more or less affect its 
purity. 



ON FEEDING CATTLE. 17 



REMARKS ON FEEDING CATTLE. 

Many of the most complicated diseases of cattle originate 
from the food : for example, it may be given in too large 
quantities — more than is needed to build up and repair the 
waste that is constantly going on. The consequence is, the 
animals get into a state of plethora, which is known by heav- 
iness, dulness, unwillingness to move ; there is a disposition 
to sleep, and they will lie down and often go to sleep in 
damp places. A chill of the extremities, or collapse of the 
capillaries, takes place, resulting in diseases of the lungs and 
pleura. At other times, if driven a short distance, and made 
to walk fast, they are liable to disease of the brain and other 
organs, which frequently terminates fatally. 

The food may be of such a nature as shall be very difficult 
of digestion, such as cornstalks, foxgrass, frosted turnips, &c. 
The clover and grasses may abound in woody fibre, in conse- 
quence of being cut too late ■ they will then require more 
than the usual amount of gastric fluids to insalivate them, 
and more time to masticate, and, finally, extract their nutri- 
mental properties. The stomach becomes overworked, pro- 
ducing sympathetic diseases of the brain and nervous struc- 
tures. The stomach not being able to act on fibrous matter 
with the same despatch as on softer materials, the former 
accumulates in its different compartments, distends the viscera, 
interferes with the motion of the diaphragm, presses on the 
liver, seriously interfering with the bile-secreting process. In 
order to prevent the grass and clover from becoming tough 
and fibrous, it should be mowed early, and while in flower, 
and should be afterwards almost constantly attended to, if the 
weather is favorable j the more it is scattered about, the bet- 
ter will it be made, and the more effectually will its fragrance 
and other good qualities be preserved. 

The food may also be deficient in nutriment. The effects 
of insufficient food are too well known to need much descrip- 
tion : debility includes them all ; it invades every function of 
3 



18 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

the animal economy. And as life is the sum of the powers 
that resist disease, if disease is only the instrument of death, 
it follows, of course, that whatever enfeebles life, or, in other 
words, produces debility, must predispose to disease. 

Many cattle, during the winter, live on bad hay, which 
does not appear to contain any of that saccharine and muci- 
laginous matter which is found in good hay. When the spring 
comes, they are turned out to grass, and thus regain their 
flesh. Many, however, die in consequence of the sudden 
change. 

It has been satisfactorily proved that fat cattle, of the best 
quality, may be produced by feeding them on boiled food. 

Dr. Whitlaw says, " On one occasion, a number of cows 
were selected from a large stock, for the express purpose of 
making the trial : they were such as appeared to be of the 
best kind, and those that gave the richest milk. In order to 
ascertain what particular food would produce the best milk, 
different species of grass and clover were tried separately, and 
the quality and flavor of the butter were found to vary very 
much. But what was of the most importance, many of the 
grasses were found to be coated with silecia, or decomposed 
sand, too hard and insoluble for the stomachs of cattle. In 
consequence of this, the grass was cut and well steamed, and 
it was found to be readily digested ; and the butter, that was 
made from the milk, much firmer, better flavored, and would 
keep longer without salt than any other kind. Another cir- 
cumstance that attended the experiment was that, in all the 
various grasses and grain that were intended by our Creator 
as food for man or beast, the various oils that enter into their 
composition were so powerfully assimilated or combined with 
the other properties of the farinaceous plants, that the oil par- 
took of the character of essential oil, and was not so easily 
evaporated as that of poisonous vegetables ; and experience 
has proved that the same quantity of grass, steamed and given 
to the cattle, will produce more butter than when given in its 
dry state. This fact being established from numerous exper- 
iments, then there must be a great saving and superiority in 



ON FEEDING CATTLE. 19 

this mode of feeding. The meat of such cattle is more 
wholesome, tender, and better flavored than when fed in the 
ordinary way." (For process of steaming, see Dadd's work 
on the Horse, p. 67.) 

A mixed diet (boiled) is supposed to be the most economi- 
cal for fattening cattle. "A Scotchman, who fattens 150 
head of Galloway cattle, annually, finds it most profitable to 
feed with bruised flaxseed, boiled with meal or barley, oats 
or Indian corn, at the rate of one part flaxseed to three parts 
meal, by weight, — the cooked compound to be afterwards 
mixed with cut straw or hay. From four to twelve pounds 
of the compound are given to each beast per day." The edi- 
tor of the Albany Cultivator adds, " Would it not be well for 
some of our farmers, who stall-feed cattle, to try this or a 
similar mode ? We are by no means certain that the ordinary 
food (meaning, probably, bad hay and cornstalks) would pay 
the expense of cooking ; but flaxseed is known to be highly 
nutritious, and the cooking would not only facilitate its diges- 
tion, but it would serve, by mixing, to render the other food 
palatable, and, by promoting the appetite and health of the 
animal, would be likely to hasten its thrift." 

Mr. Hutton, who has long been celebrated for producing 
exceedingly fat cattle at a small cost, estimates that cost as 
follows : — 

s. d. 

" 13 lbs. of linseed, bruised, or 2 lbs. per day for six 
days, and 1 lb. for Sunday, . - 19 

32 lbs. of ground corn, or 5 lbs. per day for six days, 
and %\ lbs. for Sunday, at 1 d. per lb., . . . . 2 8 

35 lbs. of turnips, given twice a day for six days, 
and thrice on Sunday, 16 

Oats, \\ d. : labor on each beast, 6 d., . . . . . 7£ 

Total cost of each beast per week, 6 6 J 

" The horses, cows, and young stock are also fed on this 
food, evidently with great advantage." 

Mr. Workington, a successful dairyman, combmmg cut feed 



20 



AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



and oil-cake with different sorts of green food, found that, by- 
giving a middle-sized cow sixteen pounds of green food and 
two of boiled hay, with two pounds of ground oil cake, {lin- 
seed would be preferable,) and eight pounds of cut straw, the 
daily expense of her keep was only 5^d., (about ten cents.) 
The oil-cake he found to be much more productive of milk 
when given with steamed food, than when employed with- 
out it. Varying their food from time to time is found to be 
of much more advantage to the cow ; and this may probably 
arise from the additional relish with which the animal eats, 
or from the superior excitement of a new stimulus on the 
different secretions. 

The following table represents the nutritive properties in 
each article of food : — 





Water. 


Husk, or 


Starch, gum, 


Gluten, 


Fatty 


Saline 




woody fibre. 


and sugar. 


albumen, &c. 


matter. 


matter. 


Oats, . . . 


16 


20 


45 


11 


6 


2.5 


Beans, . . 


14 


8 to 11 


40 


26 


2.5 


3 


Pease, . . 


14 


9 


50 


24 


2.1 


3 


Indian corn, 


14 


6 


70 


12 


5 to 9 


1.5 


Barley, . . 


15 


14 


52 


13.5 


2 to 3 


3 


Meadow hay, 


14 


30 


40 


7.1 


2 to 5 


5 to 10 


Clover hay, 


14 


25 


40 


9.3 


3 to 5 


9 


Pea straw, . 


10 to 15 


25 


45 


12.3 


1.5 


4 to 5 


Oat straw, . 


12 


45 


35 


1.3 


08 


6 


Carrots, . 


85 


3 


10 


1.5 


0.4 


1 to 2 


Linseed, . . 


9.2 


8 to 9 


35.3 


20.3 


20.0 


6.3 


Bran, . . . 


13.1 


53. 6 


2 


19.3 


4.7 


7.3 



The most nutritious grasses are those which abound in 
sugar, starch, and gluten. Sugar is an essential element in 
the formation of good milk ; hence the sweet-scented grasses 
are the most profitable to cultivate and feed to milch cows. 
At the same time, the farmer, if he does not, ought to know 
that large quantities of saccharine matter are extracted from 
clover and sweet grasses by the bees. Mr. White tells us 
that, " on a farm situated a few miles from London, the eld- 
est son of the occupier had the management and profit of the 
bees given him, which induced him to increase the number 
of stocks beyond what had ever been kept on the farm before. 
It so happened that the sheep did not thrive so well as in 



THE BARN AND FEEDING BYRE. 21 

former years, and on the farmer complaining at the cause to 
his man, as they had plenty of keep, the man replied, ' You 
will never have fat sheep so long as you suffer my young 
master to keep so many stocks of bees ; they suck all the honey 
from, the flowers, so that the clover is not half so nourishing, 
and does not produce half such good milk.'' " Had this man 
been acquainted with agricultural and animal chemistry, he 
would have had a clear conception of the seeming absurdity. 
All our labor or efforts to improve stock or crops will be fruit- 
less, unless guided by chemical science. We must have 
sugar, starch, gluten, and other materials, to perfect animal 
organization. The animal may be in good health, the differ- 
ent functions free and unobstructed, and possess the power of 
reproducing the species ; yet, if fed on substances which lack 
the materials necessary to the composition of bones, blood- 
vessels, and nerves, sooner or later its health becomes im- 
paired. Reader, if you own cattle, and wish to preserve their 
health, give them boiled food occasionally ; let them have 
their meals at regular hours, in sufficient quantity, and no 
more, unless they are intended for the butcher ; then, an ex- 
tra allowance may be given, with a view of fattening. They 
should be well littered, and the barns well ventilated ; finally, 
keep them clean, avoid undue exposure, and govern them 
in a spirit of kindness and mercy. 



THE BARN AND FEEDING BYRE. 

It is well known that the more cleanly and comfortable 
cattle are kept, and the better the order in which their food is 
presented to them, the better they will thrive, and the more 
profitable they will be to the owner. Dr. Gunthier remarks, 
that " constant confinement to the barn is opposed to the na- 
ture of oxen, and becomes the source of numberless diseases. 
Endeavors are made to promote the lacteal secretion in cows, 



22 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

and the fattening of oxen, by means of heat : for this purpose, 
stables [barns] are converted into real stoves, either by not 
making them sufficiently large, or by crowding them to ex- 
cess, or by preventing the access of air from without ; and all 
this without recollecting that the skin, thus over-excited, 
must necessarily fall into a state of atony in a short time. 
Besides, the moist heat and the emanations of the dung can- 
not fail to exercise a destructive influence on the lungs and 
entire system. To these causes if we add the absolute want 
of exercise and the excess of food, we shall not be surprised 
at the number of diseases resulting from these different prac- 
tices, and at the extraordinary forms which they ofttimes 
assume. 

" Persons propose to themselves, by feeding in the barn, to 
augment the mass of dung ; and the beasts are left in their 
excrement, sometimes up to the very knees. Seldom is there 
any care taken to cleanse their skin, and still less attention is 
directed to the feet. What wonder, then, if they exhibit so 
many forms of disease ? " 

The byre recommended by Mr. Lawson consists of two 
apartments — -an inner apartment, or byre for feeding the cattle, 
and an outer apartment, or barn for containing the fodder. 
The byre is constructed at right angles with the barn, as fol- 
lows : " At the distance of about three feet and a half from 
the side of the building, within, there are constructed, on the 
ground, in a straight line, a trough, having ten partitions for 
feeding ten animals. The troughs are so constructed, that 
there is a small and gradual declivity from the first or inner- 
most to the last or outermost one ; and the partitions separating 
them being made with a small arch at the bottom, a bucket 
of water, poured in at the uppermost, runs out at the last one 
through a spout in the wall ; and a sweep of the broom carries 
off the whole remains of the food, rendering all the troughs 
quite clean and sweet. The whole food of the cattle is thus 
kept perfectly clean at all times. 

"In a line with the feeding troughs, and immediately over 
them, runs a strong beam of wood, from one end of the byre 



THE BARN AND FEEDING BYRE. 23 

to the other ; which is strengthened by two strong upright 
supporters to the roof, placed at equal distances from the ends 
of the byre ; and the main beam is again subdivided by the 
cattle stakes and chains, so as to keep each of the ten oxen 
opposite to his own feeding trough and stall. 

" The three and a half feet of space between the troughs 
and outer wall, lighted by a glazed window, is the cattle feed- 
er's walk, who passes along it in front of the cattle, and, with 
a basket, deposits before each of the cattle the food into the 
feeding trough of each. To prevent any of the cattle from 
choking on small pieces of turnips, &c, as they are very apt 
to do, the chains at the stakes are contrived of such a length, 
that no ox can raise his head too high when eating ; for in 
this way, it is observed, cattle are generally choked. 

"At the distance of about six feet eight inches from the 
feeding troughs, and parallel to them, is a dung grove and 
urine gutter. Here too, like the trough, there is a gradual 
declivity ; so that the moment the urine passes from the cat- 
tle, it runs to the lowest end of the gutter, whence it is con- 
veyed through the outer wall, in a spout, and deposited in the 
urinarium outside of the building. At this place is a large 
enclosed space, occupied as a compost dung-court. Here all 
sorts of stuff are collected for increasing the manure, such as 
fat, earth, cleanings of roads, ditches, ponds, rotten vegeta- 
bles, &c. ; and the urine from the byre, being caused to run 
over all these collected together, which is done very easily by a 
couple of wooden spouts, moved backwards and forwards to the 
urinarium at pleasure, renders the whole mass, in a short time, 
a rich compost dunghill ; and this is done by the urine alone, 
which, in general, is totally lost. The dung of the byre, 
again, is cleared several times each day, and deposited in the 
dung-court. Along the edge of the dung-court a few low 
sheds are constructed, in which swine are kept, and these con- 
sume the refuse of the food. 

" In the side wall of the byre, and opposite to the heads 
of the cattle, are constructed three ventilators; these are 
placed at the distance of about two feet four inches from the 



24 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

ground, in the inside of the byre, and pass out just under the 
roof. The inside openings of these are about thirteen inches 
in length, seven in breadth, and nine in depth ; and they 
serve two good purposes. The breath of cattle being super- 
ficially lighter than atmospheric air, the consequence is, that 
in some byres the cattle are kept in a constant heat and sweat, 
because their breath and heat have no way to escape ; where- 
as, by means of the ventilators, the air of the barn is kept in 
proper circulation, which conduces as much to the health of 
the cattle as to the preservation of the walls and timber of the 
byre, by drying up the moisture produced from the breath and 
sweat of the cattle, which is found to injure those parts of 
the building." 



MILKING 



The operation of milking should, if possible, always be 
performed by the same person, and in the most gentle man- 
ner ; the violent tugging at the teats by an inexperienced 
hand is apt to make the animal irritable and uneasy during 
the operation, and unwilling to be milked. Many of the dis- 
eases of the teats and udder can be traced to violence done to 
the parts under the operation of milking. Young animals 
are often unwilling to be milked : here a little patience and 
kindness will perform wonders. 

It is not the quantity of milk that gives value to the dairy 
cow ; for the milk of one good cow will make more butter 
than that of two poor ones, each giving the same quantity of 
milk. Its most abundant principles are cream, caseous matter 
or curd, and whey. In these are also contained a saccharine 
matter, (sugar of milk,) muriate and phosphate of potassa, 
phosphate of lime, acetic acid, acetate of potassa, and a trace 
of acetate of iron. The three principal constituents (cream, 
curd, and whey) can easily be separated: thus the cream 
rises to the surface, and the curd and whey will separate if 



KNOWLEDGE OF CHEMISTRY IMPORTANT TO FARMERS. 25 

the milk becomes sour, or a little rennet is poured into it. 
When milk is intended to be made into cheese, no part of the 
cream should be separated. Good cheese is, consequently, 
rarely produced in those dairies where much butter is made ; 
the former being robbed for the sake of the latter. 

Sir J. Sinclair says, " If a few spoonfuls of milk are left in 
the udder of the cow at milking ; if any of the implements 
used in the dairy are allowed to be tainted by neglect ; if the 
dairy-house be kept dirty, or out of order ; if the milk is 
either too hot or too cold at coagulation ; if too much or too 
little rennet is put into the milk ; if the whey is not speedily 
taken off ; if too much or too little salt is applied ; if butter 
is too slowly or too hastily churned; or if other minute at- 
tentions are neglected, the milk will be in a great measure 
lost. If these nice operations occurred once a month, or once 
a week, they might be easily guarded against ; but as they 
require to be observed during every stage of the process, and 
almost every hour of the day, the most vigilant attention 
must be kept up during the whole season." 



A KNOWLEDGE OE AGRICULTURAL AND ANIMAL CHEMISTRY IM- 
PORTANT TO FARMERS. 

It is a well-known fact that plants require for their germi- 
nation and growth different constituents of soil, and that ani- 
mals require different forms of food to build up the waste, 
and promote the living integrity — the vital powers. 

In order to supply the materials necessary for animal and 
vegetable nutrition, we require alternate changes — the former 
in the diet, and the latter in the soil. Experience has proved 
that the cultivation of a plant for several successive years on 
the same soil impoverishes it, or the plant degenerates. On 
the contrary, if a piece of land be suffered to lie uncultivated 
for a short time, it will yield, in spite of the loss of time, a 
4 



26 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

greater quantity of grain ; for, during the interval of rest, the 
soil regains its original equilibrium. It has been satisfactorily 
demonstrated that a fruit-tree cannot be made to grow and 
bring forth good fruit on the same spot where another of the 
same species has stood ; at least not until a lapse of years. 
This is a fact worth knowing, for it applies more or less to all 
forms of vegetation. Another fact of experience is, that 
some plants thrive on the same soil only after a lapse of years, 
while others may be cultivated in close succession, provided 
the soil is kept in equilibrium by artificial means ; these are 
subsoiling, &c. Some kinds of plants improve the soil, 
while others impoverish or exhaust it. Professor Liebig tells 
us, " turnips, cabbages, beets, oats, and rye are considered to 
belong to the class which impoverish the soil ; while by wheat, 
hops, madder, hemp, and poppies, it is supposed to be entirely 
exhausted." Many of our farmers expend large sums of 
money in the purchase of manure, with a view of improving 
the soil ; and they suppose that their crops will be abundant 
in proportion to the amount of manure ; yet many have dis- 
covered that, in spite of the extra expense and labor, the prod- 
uce of their farms decreased. 

The alternation of crops seems destined to effect a great 
change in agriculture. A French chemist informs us that the 
roots of plants imbibe matter of every kind from the soil, and 
thus necessarily abstract a number of substances, which are 
not adapted to the purposes of nutrition, and that they are 
ultimately expelled by the excretory vessels, and return to the 
soil as excrement. The excrementitious portion of the food 
also returns to the soil. Now, as excrement cannot be assim- 
ilated by the same animal or plant that ejected it, without 
danger to the organs of digestion or elimination, it follows 
that the more vegetable excrement the soil contains, the more 
unfitted must it be for plants of the same species ; yet these 
excrementitious matters may, however, still be capable of 
assimilation by another kind of plant, which would absorb 
them from the soil, and render it again fertile for the first. 
In connection with this, it has been observed that several 



KNOWLEDGE OF CHEMISTRY IMPORTANT TO FARMERS. 27 

plants will nourish when growing beside each other ; but it is 
not good policy to sow two kinds of seed together : on the 
other hand, some plants mutually prevent each other's devel- 
opment. The same happens if young cattle are suffered to 
graze and sleep in the barn together : the one lives at the ex- 
pense of the other, which soon shows evidences of disease. 
The injurious effects of permitting young children to sleep 
with aged relatives are known to many of our readers ; yet 
some parents see their children sicken and die without know- 
ing the why or wherefore. From such facts as these, — 
which we might multiply to an indefinite extent, were it 
necessary, — we learn that nature's laws are immutable and 
uncompromising ; and woe be to the man that transgresses 
them : they are a part of the divine law, which cannot be 
set at nought with impunity. 

Ignorance on these important subjects has existed too long : 
yet we perceive in the distant horizon a ray of intellectual 
light, streaming through our schools and agricultural socie- 
ties. The result will be, that succeeding generations will be 
better acquainted with nature's laws, from which shall flow 
untold blessings. Chemistry teaches us that animals and 
vegetables are composed of a vast number of different com- 
pounds, which are nearly all produced by the same elementary 
principles. Vegetables consist of carbon, hydrogen, and oxy- 
gen ; and the same substances, with the addition of nitrogen, 
are the principal constituents of the animal economy. In a 
word, all the constituents of animal creation have actually 
been discovered in vegetables : this has, we presume, led to 
the conclusion that "all flesh is grass." 

Many horticulturists complain that certain fruits and seeds 
have "run out" or degenerated. Has the stately oak, the 
elm, or the cedar degenerated ? No. Each has preserved its 
identity, and will continue so to do, at least just as the Di- 
vine Artist intended they should, unless man, by his fancied 
improvements, interferes; and here, reader, permit us to ask 
if you ever knew a piece of nature's mechanism improved by 
human agency. Can we make a light better adapted to the 



28 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

wants of animate and inanimate creation than that which the 
sun, moon, and stars afford ? Whenever we attempt to improve 
on immutable laws, as they are written on the face of crea- 
tion, that moment we prevent the full and free play of these 
laws. Hence the practice of grafting scions of delicious 
fruit-trees on stock of an inferior order compromises its iden- 
tity ; and successive crops will show unmistakable evidences 
of encroachment. A son of the lamented Mr. Phinney tells 
us that he had some very fine sows, that he was desirous of 
breeding from, with a view of making "improvements." He 
bred in a close degree of relationship : in a short time, to use 
his own expression, " their sides appeared like two boards 
nailed together." Does the farmer wish to know how to pre- 
vent seeds and fruit " running out"? Let him study chem- 
istry. Chemistry furnishes the information ; it also teaches 
the husbandman the fact, that to put a plant, composed of 
certain essential elements, on a soil destitute of those ele- 
ments, — or to graft a scion, requiring a certain amount of sap 
or juice, on a stock destitute of such sap or juice, expecting 
that they will germinate, grow to perfection, and preserve 
their identity, — would be just as absurd as to expect that a 
dry sow would nourish a sucking pig. 

Agriculture being based on the equilibrium of the soils, a 
knowledge of chemistry is indispensable to every one who is 
desirous of keeping pace with the reforms of the age : for it 
is through the medium of that science alone that we are en- 
abled to ascertain with certainty how this equilibrium is dis- 
turbed by the growth of vegetation. Then is it not a matter 
of deep interest to the farmer to know how this equilibrium 
is restored ? 

Does the farmer wish to know what kind of soil is neces- 
sary to nourish and mature a plant ? Chemistry solves the 
problem. Does the farmer wish to know how to improve the 
soil ? Let him refer to chemistry. Chemistry will teach the 
farmer how to analyze the soil ; by that means he will learn 
which of the constituent elements of the plants and soil are 
constant, and which are changeable. By making an analysis 



KNOWLEDGE OF CHEMISTRY IMPORTANT TO FARMERS. 29 

of the soil at different periods, through the process of germi- 
nation, growth, and maturity, we are enabled to ascertain the 
amount of excretory elements given out. Bergman tells us 
that he found, by analysis, in " 100 parts of fertile soil, coarse 
silex 30 parts, silecia 30 parts, carbonate of lime 30 parts : " 
hence the fertility of the soil diminishes in proportion as one 
or the other of these elements predominates. 

Ashes of wheat contain, among other elementary sub- 
stances, 48 parts of silecia. Now, what farmer could expect 
to raise a good crop of wheat from a soil destitute of silecious 
earth, since this earth constitutes a large amount of the earthy 
part of wheat ? There is no barrier to agricultural improve- 
ment so effectual as for farmers to continue their old customs 
purely because their forefathers did so. But prejudices are 
fast dying away before the rays of intellectual illumination ; 
the farmers are fast seceding from the supposed infallibles of 
their forefathers, and will soon become "book" as well as 
practical husbandmen. " Book farming," assisted by prac- 
tical knowledge, teaches that manures require admixture of 
milder materials to mitigate their force ; for some of them 
communicate a disgusting or offensive quality to vegetables. 
They are charged with imparting a biting and acrimonious 
taste to radishes and turnips. Potatoes and grapes are known 
to borrow the foul taint of the ground. Millers observe a 
strong, disagreeable odor in the meal of wheat that grew upon 
land highly charged with the rotten recrements of cities. 
Stable dung is known to impart a disagreeable flavor to vege- 
tables. 

The same effects may be illustrated in the animal king- 
dom. Ducks are rendered so ill tasted from stuffing down 
garbage as sometimes to be offensive to the palate when 
cooked. The quality of pork is known by the food of the 
swine, and the peculiar flavor of water-fowl is rationally 
traced to the fish they devour. Thus a portion of the ele- 
ments of manure and nutrimental matter passes into the living 
bodies without being entirely subdued. For example, we can 
alter the color of the cow's milk by mixing madder or saf- 



30 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

fron in the food ; the odor may be influenced by gailic ; the 
flavor may be altered by pine and wormwood ; and lastly, the 
medicinal effect may be influenced. 

In the cultivation of grass the farmer will find it to his ad- 
vantage to cultivate none but the best kinds ; the whole pas- 
ture lands will then be filled with valuable grass seeds. The 
number of grass seeds worth cultivating is but few, and these 
should be sown separately. It is bad policy to sow different 
kinds of grass seed together — just as bad as to sow wheat, 
oats, turnips, and corn promiscuously. 

The reason why the farmers, as a community, will be ben- 
efited by sowing none but the best seed is, because grass 
seeds are distributed through neighboring pastures by the 
winds, and there take root, Now, if the neighboring pastures 
abound in inferior grasses, the fields will soon be filled with 
useless plants, which are very difficult to be got rid of. We 
refer those of our readers who* desire to make themselves ac- 
quainted with animal chemistry to Professor Liebig's work on 
that science. 



ON BREEDING. 



Large sums of money have, from time to time, been ex- 
pended with a view of improving stock, and many superior 
cattle have been introduced into this country ; yet, after a few 
generations, the beautiful form and superior qualities of the 
originals are nearly lost, and the importer finds to his cost 
that the produce is no better than that of his neighbors. 
What are the causes of this deterioration ? We are told — 
and experience confirms the fact — that "like produces like." 
Good qualities and perfect organization are perpetuated by a 
union of animals possessing those properties : of course it fol- 
lows, that malformation, hereditary taints, and vices are trans- 
mitted and aggravated. 

The destructive practice of breeding " in and in," or, in 



BREEDING. 31 

other words, selecting animals of the same family, is one of the 
first causes of degeneracy ; and this destructive practice has 
proved equally unfortunate in the human family. Physical 
defects are the result of the intermarriage of near relatives. 
In Spain, the deformed and feeble state of the aristocracy 
arises from their alliances being confined to the same class of 
relatives through successive generations. But we need not 
go to Spain to verify such facts. Go into our churchyards, 
and read on the tombstones the names of thousands of infants, 
■ — gems withered in the bud, — young men, and maidens, cut 
down and consigned to a premature grave ; and then prove, 
if you can, that early marriages and near alliances are not the 
chief causes of this great mortality. 

Mr. Colman, in an article on live stock, says, " There seems 
to be a limit beyond which no person can go. The particu- 
lar breed may be altered and improved, but an entirely new 
breed cannot be produced ; and in every departure from the 
original there is a constant tendency to revert back to it. 
The stock of the improved Durham cattle seems to establish 
this fact. If we have the true history of it, it is a cross of a 
Teeswater bull with a Galloway cow. The Teeswater or 
Yorkshire stock are a large, coarse-boned animal : the object 
of this cross was to get a smaller bone and greater compact- 
ness. By attempting to carry this improvement, if I may so 
call it, still further by breeding continually in and in, that is, 
with members of the same family, in a close degree of affin- 
ity, the power of continuing the species seems to become ex- 
tinct ; at least it approximates to such a result. On the other 
hand, by wholly neglecting all selection, and without an oc- 
casional good cross with an animal of some foreign blood, 
there appears a tendency to revert back to the large-boned, 
long-legged animal, from which the improvement began. 

" There are, however, several instances of superior animals 
bred in the closest affinity ; whilst, in a very great majority 
of cases, the failure has been excessive." 

Overtaxing the generative powers of the male is another 
cause of deterioration. The reader is probably aware of the 



32 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

woful results attending too frequent sexual intercourse. If he 
has not given this subject the attention it demands, then let 
him read the records of our lunatic asylums : they tell a sad 
tale of woe, and prove to demonstration that, before the blast 
of this dire tornado, sexual excess, lofty minds, the suns and 
stars of our intellectual world, are suddenly blotted out. It 
spares neither age, sex, profession, nor kind. Dr. White re- 
lates a case which substantiates the truth of our position. 
" The Prince of Wales, who afterwards became George the 
Fourth, had a stud horse of very superior qualities. His high- 
ness caused a few of his own mares to be bred to this stallion, 
and the produce proved every way worthy of the sire. This 
horse was kept at Windsor for public covering without charge, 
except the customary groom's fee of half a guinea. The 
groom, anxious to pocket as many half guineas as possible, 
persuaded all he could to avail themselves of the prince's lib- 
erality. The result was, that, being kept in a stable without 
sufficient exercise, and covering nearly one hundred mares 
yearly, the stock, although tolerably promising in their early 
age, shot up into lank, weakly, awkward, good-for-nothing 
creatures, to the entire ruin of the horse's character and sire. 
Some gentlemen, aware of the cause, took pains to explain it, 
proving the correctness of their statement by reference to the 
first of the horses got, which were among the best horses in 
England." 

There is no doubt but that brutes are often endowed with 
extraordinary powers for sexual indulgence ; yet, when kept 
for the purpose alluded to, without sufficient muscular exer- 
cise, — breathing impure air, and living on the fat of the 
farm, — his services in constant requisition, — then it is no 
wonder, that if, under these circumstances, the offspring are 
weak and inefficient. 

Professor Youatt recommends that " valuable qualities once 
established, which it is desirable to keep up, should thereafter 
be preserved by occasional crosses with the best animals to be 
had of the same breed, but of a different family. This is the 
great secret which has maintained the blood horse in his great 
superiority," 



BREEDING. 33 

The live stock of our farmers frequently degenerates in a 
very short space of time. The why and the wherefore is not 
generally understood; neither will it be, until animal physi- 
ology shall be better understood than it is at the present time. 
Men are daily violating the laws of animal organization in 
more ways than one, in the breeding, rearing, and general 
management of all kinds of domestic animals, — until the dif- 
ferent breeds are so amalgamated, that, in many cases, it is a 
difficult task to ascertain, with any degree of certainty, their 
pedigree. If a farmer has in his possession a bull of a favor- 
ite breed, the neighboring stock-raisers avail themselves of 
his bullship's services by sending as many cows to him as 
possible : the consequence is, that the offspring got in the lat- 
ter part of the season are good for nothing. The cow also, 
at the time of impregnation, may be in a state of debility, 
owing to some derangement in the organs of digestion ; if so, 
impregnation is very likely to make the matter worse ; for 
great sympathy exists between the organs of generation and 
those of digestion, and females of every order suffer more or 
less from a disturbed state of the stomach during the early 
months of pregnancy. In fact, during the whole stage they 
should be considered far from a state of health. Add to this 
the fact that impregnated cows are milked, (not generally, 
yet we know of such cases : ) the foetus is thus deprived of its 
due share of nourishment, and the extra nutrimental agents, 
necessary for its growth and development, must be furnished 
at the expense of the mother. She, in her turn, soon shows 
unmistakable evidences of this " robbing Peter to pay Paul " 
system, by her sunken eye, loss of flesh, &c, and often, be- 
fore she has seen her sixth month of pregnancy, liberates the 
foetus by a premature birth — in short, pays the penalty of 
disobedience to the immutable law of nature. On the other 
hand, should such a cow go safely through the whole period 
of gestation and parturition, the offspring will not be worth 
keeping, and the milk of the former will lack, in some meas- 
ure, those constituents which go to make good milk, and 
without which it is almost worthless for making butter or 
5 



34 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

cheese. A cow should never be bred from unless she shall 
be in good health and flesh. Tf she cannot be fatted, then 
she may be spayed. (See article Spaying Cows.) By that 
means, her health will improve, and she will be made a per- 
manent milker. Degeneracy may arise from physical defects 
on the part of the bull. It is well known that infirmities, 
faults, and defects are communicated by the sexual congress 
to the parties as well as their offspring. Hence a bull should 
never be bred to unless he possesses the requisite qualifications 
of soundness, form, size, and color. There are a great num- 
ber of good-for-nothing bulls about the country, whose services 
can be had for a trifle ; under these circumstances, and when 
they can be procured without the trouble of sending the cow 
even a short distance, it will be difficult to effect a change. 

If the farming community desire to put a stop to this grow- 
ing evil, let them instruct their representatives to advocate the 
enactment of a law prohibiting the breeding to bulls or stal- 
lions unless they shall possess the necessary qualifications. 

THE BULL. 

Mr. Lawson gives us the following description of a good 
bull. It would be difficult to find one corresponding in all its 
details to this description ; yet it will give the reader an idea 
of what a good bull ought to be. " The head of the bull 
should be rather long, and muzzle fine ; his eyes lively and 
prominent ; his ears long and thin ; his horns white ; his neck 
rising with a gentle curve from the shoulders, and small and 
fine where it joins the head ; his shoulders moderately broad at 
the top, joining full to his chine and chest backwards, and to 
the neck-vein forwards ; his bosom open ; breast broad, and 
projecting well before his legs ; his arms or fore thighs mus- 
cular, and tapering to his knees ; his legs straight, clean, and 
very fine boned ; his chine and chest so full as to leave no 
hollows behind the shoulders ; the plates strong, to keep his 
belly from sinking below the level of his breast ; his back or 
loin broad, straight, and flat ; his ribs rising one above an- 



VALtTE OF DIFFERENT BREEDS OF COWS. 35 

•other, in such a manner that the last rib shall be rather the 
highest, leaving only a small space to the hips, the whole 
forming a round or barrel-like carcass , his hips should be wide 
placed, round or globular, and a little higher than the back ; 
the quarters {from the hips to the rump) long, and, instead of 
being square, as recommended by some, they should taper 
gradually from the hips backwards ; rump close to the tail ; 
the tail broad, well haired, and set on so as to be in the same 
horizontal line with his back." 



VALUE OP DIFFERENT BREEDS OF COWS. 

Mr. Culley, in speaking of the relative value of long and short 
horns, says, " The long-horns excel in the thickness and firm 
texture of the hide, in the length and closeness of the hair, in 
their beef being finer grained and more mixed and marbled 
than that of the short-horns, in weighing more in proportion to 
their size, and in giving richer milk ; but they are inferior to 
the short-horns in giving a less quantity of milk, in weighing 
less upon the whole, in affording less fat when killed, in being 
generally slower feeders, in being coarser made, and more 
leathery or bullish in the under side of the neck. In a few 
words, the long-horns excel in hide, hair, and quality of beef; 
the short-horns in the quantity of beef, fat, and milk. Each 
breed has long had, and probably may have, their particular 
advocates ; but if I may hazard a conjecture, is it not proba- 
ble that both kinds may have their particular advantages in 
different situations ? Why not the thick, firm hides, and long, 
closer set hair, of the one kind be a protection and security 
against tempestuous winds and heavy fogs and rains, while a 
regular season and mild climate are more suitable to the con* 
stitutions of the short-horns ? But it has hitherto been the 
misfortune of the short-horned breeders to seek the largest 
and biggest boned ones for the best, without considering that 
those are the best that bring the most money for a given quan- 
tity of food. However, the ideas of our short-horned breed- 
ers being now more enlarged, and their minds more open to 



36 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

conviction, we may hope in a few years to see great improve- 
ments made in that breed of cattle. 

" I would recommend to breeders of cattle to find out which 
breed is the most profitable, and which are best adapted to 
the different situations, and endeavor to improve that breed to 
the utmost, rather than try to unite the particular qualities of 
two or more distinct breeds by crossing, which is a precarious 
practice, for we generally find the produce inherit the coarse- 
ness of both breeds, and rarely attain the good properties 
which the pure distinct breeds individually possess. 

" Short-horned cows yield much milk ; the long-horned 
give less, but the cream is more abundant and richer. The 
same quantity of milk also yields a greater proportion of 
cheese. The Polled or Galloway cows are excellent milkers, 
and their milk is rich. The Suffolk duns are much esteemed 
for the abundance of their milk, and the excellence of the butter 
it produces. Ayrshire or Kyloe cows are much esteemed in 
Scotland ; and in England the improved breed of the long- 
horned cattle is highly prized in many dairy districts. Every 
judicious selecter, however, will always, in making his choice, 
keep in view not only the different sorts and individuals of 
the animal, but also the nature of the farm on which the 
cows are to be put, and the sort of manufactured produce he 
is anxious to bring to market. The best age for a milch cow 
is betwixt four, or five, and ten. When old, she will give 
more milk ; but it is of an inferior quality, and she is less 
easily supported." 



METHOD OF PREPARING RENNET, AS PRACTISED IN ENGLAND. 

Take the calf s maw, or stomach, and having taken out 
the curd contained therein, wash it clean, and salt it thor- 
oughly, inside and out, leaving a white coat of salt over 
every part of it. Put it into an earthen jar, or other vessel, 
and let it stand three or four days ; in which time it will have 



MAKING CHEESE. 37 

formed the salt and its own natural juice into a pickle. Take 
it out of the jar, and hang it up for two or three days, to let 
the pickle drain from it ; resalt it ; place it again in the jar ; 
cover it tight down with a paper, pierced with a large pin ; 
and let it remain thus till it is wanted for use. In this state 
it ought to be kept twelve months ; it may, however, in 
case of necessity, be used a few days after it has received the 
second salting ; but it will not be as strong as if kept a longer 
time. To prepare the rennet for use, take a handful of the 
leaves of the sweet-brier, the same quantity of rose and bram- 
ble leaves ; boil them in a gallon of water, with three or 
four handfuls of salt, about a quarter of an hour ; strain off 
the liquor, and, having let it stand until perfectly cool, put it 
into an earthen vessel, and add to it the maw prepared as 
above. To this add a sound, good lemon, stuck round with 
about a quarter of an ounce of cloves, which give the rennet 
an agreeable flavor. The longer the bag remains in the liquor, 
the stronger, of course, will be the rennet. The amount, 
therefore, requisite to turn a given quantity of milk, can only 
be ascertained by daily use and observation. A sort of aver- 
age may be something less than a half pint of good rennet 
to fifty gallons of milk. In Gloucestershire, they employ 
one third of a pint to coagulate the above quantity. 



MAKING CHEESE. 



It is generally admitted that many dairy farmers pay more 
attention to the quantity than the quality of this article of 
food; now, as cheese is " a surly elf, digesting everything 
but itself," (this of course applies to some of the white oak 
specimens, which, like the Jew's razors, were made to sell,) 
it is surely a matter of great importance that they should 
attend more to the quality, especially if it be intended for ex- 
portation. There is no doubt but the home consumption of 



38 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

good cheese would soon materially increase, for many thou- 
sands of our citizens refuse to eat of the miserable stuff 
" misnamed cheese." 

The English have long been celebrated for the superior qual- 
ity of their cheese j and we have thought that we cannot do a 
better service to our dairy farmers than to give, in as few 
words as possible, the various methods of making the differ- 
ent kinds of cheese, for which we are indebted to Mr. Law- 
son's work on cattle. 

"It is to be observed, in general, that cheese varies in qual- 
ity, according as it has been made of milk of one meal, or 
two meals, or of skimmed milk ; and that the season of the 
year, the method of milking, the preparation of the rennet, 
the mode of coagulation, the breaking and gathering of the 
curd, the management of the cheese in the press, the method 
of salting, and the management of the cheese-room, are all 
objects of the highest importance to the cheese manufacturer ; 
and yet, notwithstanding this, the practice, in most of these 
respects, is still regulated by little else than mere chance or 
custom, without the direction of enlightened observation or 
the aid of well-conducted experiment. 

GLOUCESTER CHEESE. 

" In Gloucestershire, where the manufacture of cheese is 
perhaps as well understood as in any part of the world, they 
make the best cheeses of a single meal of milk ; and, when 
this is done in the best manner, the entire meal of milk is 
used, without any addition from a former meal. But it not 
unfrequently happens that a portion of the milk is reserved 
and set by to be skimmed for butter ; and at the next milk- 
ing this proportion is added to the new milk, from which an 
equal quantity has been taken for a similar purpose. One 
meal cheeses are principally made here, and go by the name 
of best making, or simply one meal cheeses. The cheeses 
are distinguished into thin and thick, or single and double ; 
the last having usually four to the hundred weight, (112 



MAKING CHEESE. 39 

pounds,) the other about twice that number. The best 
double Gloucester is always made from new milk. 

" The true single Gloucester cheese is thought by many to 
be the best, in point of flavor, of any we have. The season 
for making their thin or single cheese is mostly from April to 
November ; but the principal season for the thick or double is 
confined to May, June, and the early part of July. This is 
a busy season in the dairy ; for at an earlier period the milk 
is not rich enough, and if the cheese be made later in the 
summer, they do not acquire sufficient age to be marketable 
next spring. Very many cheeses, however, can be made 
even in winter from cows that are well fed. The cows are 
milked in summer at a very early hour ; generally by four 
o'clock in the morning, before the day becomes hot, and the 
animals restless and unruly. 

CHESTER CHEESE. 

" After the milk has been strained, to free it from any im- 
purities, it is conveyed into a cooler placed upon feet like a 
table, having a spigot at the bottom for drawing off the milk. 
This, when sufficiently cooled, is drawn off into pans, and 
the cooler again filled. In some cases, the cooler is large 
enough to hold a whole meal's milk at once. The rapid 
cooling thus produced (which, however, is necessary only in 
hot weather, and during the summer season) is found to be 
of essential utility in retarding the process of fermentation, 
and thereby preventing putridity from commencing in the 
milk before two meals of it can be put together. Some have 
thought that the cheese might be improved by cooling the even- 
ing's milk still more rapidly, and that this might be effected 
by repeatedly drawing it off from and returning it into the 
cistern. When the milk is too cold, a portion of it is warmed 
over the fire and mixed with the rest. 

" The coloring matter, (annatto,) in Cheshire, is added by 
tying up as much of the substance as is thought sufficient in 
a linen rag, and putting it into a half pint of warm water, to 



40 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

stand over night. The whole of this infusion is, in the 
morning, mixed with the milk in the cheese-tub, and the rag 
dipped in the milk and rubbed on the palm of the hand as 
long as any of the coloring matter can be made to come 
away. 

" The next operation is salting ; and this is done, either by 
laying the cheese, immediately after it comes out of the press, 
on a clean, fine cloth in the vat, immersed in brine, to remain 
for several days, turning it once every day at least ; or by 
covering the upper surface of the cheese with salt every time 
it is turned, and repeating the application for three successive 
days, taking care to change the cloth twice during the time. 
In each of these methods, the cheese, after being so treated, 
is taken out of the vat, placed upon the salting bench, and 
the whole surface of it carefully rubbed with salt daily for 
eight or ten days. If it be large, a wooden hoop or a fillet 
of cloth is employed to prevent renting. The cheese is then 
washed in warm water or whey, dried with a cloth, and laid 
on what is called the drying bench. It remains there for 
about a week, and is thence removed to the keeping house. 
In Cheshire, it is found that the greatest quantity of salt used 
for a cheese of sixty pounds is about three pounds ; but the 
proportion of this retained in the cheese has not been deter- 
mined. 

" When, after salting and drying, the cheeses are deposited 
in the cheese-room or store-house, they are smeared all over 
with fresh butter, and placed on shelves fitted to the purpose, 
or on the floor. During the first ten or fifteen days, smart 
rubbing is daily employed, and the smearing with butter re- 
peated. As long, however, as they are kept, they should be 
every day turned ; and the usual practice is to rub them three 
times a week in summer and twice in winter. 

STILTON CHEESE. 

" Stilton cheese is made by putting the night's cream into 
the morning's new milk along with the rennet. When the 



MAKING CHEESE. 41 

curd has come, it is not broken, as in making other cheese, 
but taken out whole, and put into a sieve to drain gradually. 
While this is going on, it is gently pressed, and, having be- 
come firm and dry, is put into a vat, and kept on a dry board. 
These cheeses are exceedingly rich and valuable. They are 
called the Parmesan of England, and weigh from ten to twelve 
pounds. The manufacture of them is confined almost ex- 
clusively to Leicestershire, though not entirely so. 

DTJNLOP CHEESE. 

" In Scotland, a species of cheese is produced, which has 
long been known and celebrated under the name of Dunlop 
cheese. The best cheese is made by such as have a dozen or 
more cows, and consequently can make a cheese every day ; 
one half of the milk being immediately from the cow, and 
the other of twelve hours' standing. Their method of mak- 
ing it is simple. They endeavor to have the milk as near as 
ma}?- be to the heat of new milk, when they apply the rennet, 
and whenever coagulation has taken place, (which is gener- 
ally in ten or twelve minutes,) they stir the curd gently, and 
the whey, beginning to separate, is taken off as it gathers, til] 
the curd be pretty solid. When this happens, they put it 
into a drainer with holes, and apply a weight. As soon as 
this has had its proper effect, the curd is put back again 
into the cheese-tub, and, by means of a sort of knife with 
three or four blades, is cut into very small pieces, salted, and 
carefully mixed by the hand. It is now placed in the vat, 
and put under the press. This is commonly a large stone of 
a cubical shape, from half a ton to a ton in weight, fixed in 
a frame of wood, and raised and lowered by an iron screw. 
The cheese is frequently taken out, and the cloth changed ; 
and as soon as it has been ascertained that no more whey 
remains, it is removed, and placed on a dry board or pine floor. 
It is turned and rubbed frequently with a hard, coarse cloth, 
to prevent moulding or breeding mites. No coloring matter 
6 



42 AxMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

is used in making Dunlop cheese, except by such as wish to 
imitate the English cheese. 



GREEN CHEESE. 

" Green cheese is made by steeping over night, in a proper 
quantity of milk, two parts of sage with one of marigold 
leaves, and a little parsley, after being bruised, and then mix- 
ing the curd of the milk, thus greened, as it is called, with 
the curd of the white milk. These may be mixed irregular- 
ly or fancifully, according to the pleasure of the operator. 
The management in other respects is the same as for com- 
mon cheese." 

Mr. Colman says, " In conversation with one of the largest 
wholesale cheesemongers and provision-dealers in the coun- 
try, he suggested that there were two great faults of the 
American cheese, which somewhat prejudiced its sale in the 
English market. He is a person in whose character and ex- 
perience entire confidence may be placed. 

" The first fault was the softness of the rind. It often 
cracked, and the cheese became spoiled from that circum- 
stance. 

" The second fault is the acridness, or peculiar, smart, bit- 
ter taste often found in American cheese. He thought this 
might be due, in part, to some improper preparation or use of 
the rennet, and, in part, to some kind of feed which the cows 
found in the pastures. 

" The rind may be made of any desired hardness, if the 
cheese be taken from the press, and allowed to remain in 
brine, so strong that it will take up no more salt, for four or 
five hours. There must be great care, however, not to keep 
it too long in the brine. 

" The calf from which the rennet is to be taken should not 
be allowed to suck on the day on which it is killed. The 
office of the rennet, or stomach of the calf, is, to supply the 



MAKING CHEESE. 43 

gastric juice by which the curdling of the milk is effected, 
If it has recently performed that office, it will have become, 
to a degree, exhausted of its strength. Too much rennet 
should not be applied. Dairymaids, in general, are anxious 
to have the curd ' come soon,' and so apply an excessive 
quantity, to which he thinks much of the acrid taste of the 
cheese is owing. Only so much should be used as will pro- 
duce the effect in about fifty minutes. For the reason above 
given, the rennet should not, he says, be washed in water 
when taken from the calf, as it exhausts its strength, but 
be simply salted. 

" When any cream is taken from the milk to be made into 
butter, the buttermilk should be returned to the milk of which 
the cheese is to be made. The greatest care should be taken 
in separating the whey from the cheese. When the pressing 
or handling is too severe, the whey that runs from the curd 
will appear of a white color. This is owing to its carrying 
off with it the small creamy particles of the cheese, which 
are, in fact, the richest part of it. After the curd is cut or 
broken, therefore, and not squeezed with the hand, and all 
the whey is allowed to separate from it that can be easily re- 
moved, the curd should be taken out of the tub with the 
greatest care, and laid upon a coarse cloth attached to a frame 
like a sieve, and there suffered to drain until it becomes quite 
dry and mealy, before being put into the press. The object 
of pressing should be, not to express the whey, but to con- 
solidate the cheese. There should be no aim to make whey 
butter. All the butter extracted from the whey is so much 
of the proper richness taken from the cheese." 



44 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



MAKING BUTTER. 

It is a matter of impossibility to make a superior article of 
butter from the milk of a cow in a diseased state ; for if 
either of the organs of secretion, absorption, digestion, or cir- 
culation, be deranged, we cannot expect good blood. The 
milk being a secretion from the blood, it follows that, in or- 
der to have good milk, we must have pure blood. A great 
deal depends also on the food ; certain pastures are more favor- 
able to the production of good milk than others. We know 
that many vegetables, such as turnips, garlic, dandelions, will 
impart a disagreeable flavor to the milk. On the other hand, 
sweet-scented grasses and boiled food improve the quality, 
and, generally, increase the quantity of the milk, provided, 
however, the digestive organs are in a physiological state. 

The processes of making butter are various in different 
parts of the United States. We are not prepared, from expe- 
rience, to discuss the relative merits of the different operations 
of churning : suffice it to say, that the important improve- 
ments that have recently been made in the construction of 
churns promise to be of great advantage to the dairyman. 

The method of churning in England is considered to be 
favorable to the production of good butter. From twelve to 
twenty hours in summer, and about twice as long in winter, 
are permitted to elapse before the milk is skimmed, after it 
has been put into the milk-pans. If, on applying the tip of 
the finger to the surface, nothing adheres to it, the cream may 
be properly taken off ; and during the hot summer months, 
this should always be done in the morning, before the dairy 
becomes warm. The cream should then be deposited in a 
deep pan, placed in the coolest part of the dairy, or in a cool 
cellar, where free air is admitted. In hot weather, churning 
should be performed, if possible, every other day ; but if this 
is not convenient, the cream should be daily shifted into a 
clean pan, and the churning should never be less frequent 
than twice a week. This work should be performed in the 



MAKING BUTTER. 45 

coolest time of the day, and in the coolest part of the house. 
Cold water should be applied to the churn, first by filling it 
with this some time before the cream is poured in, or it may 
be kept cool by the application of a wet cloth. Such means 
are generally necessary, to prevent the too rapid acidification 
of the cream, and formation of the butter. We are indebted 
for much of the poor butter, (cart-grease would be a more 
suitable name,) in which our large cities abound, to want of 
due care in churning : it should never be done too hastily, 
but — like "Billy Gray's" drumming — well done. In win- 
ter the churn may be previously heated by first filling it with 
hot water, the operation to be performed in a moderately warm 
room. 

In churning, a moderate and uninterrupted motion should 
be kept up during the whole process ; for if the motion be too 
rapid, heat is generated, which will give the butter a rank fla- 
vor ; and if the motion is relaxed, the butter will go back, as 
it is termed. 



WASHING BUTTER. 

" When the operation is properly conducted, the butter, 
after some time, suddenly forms, and is to be carefully col- 
lected and separated from the buttermilk. But in doing this, 
it is not sufficient merely to pour off the milk, or withdraw 
the butter from it ; because a certain portion of the caseous 
and serous parts of the milk still remains in the interstices of 
the butter, and must be detached from it by washing, if we 
would obtain it pure. In washing butter, some think it suf- 
ficient to press the mass gently between the hands ; others 
press it strongly and frequently, repeating the washings till 
the water comes off quite clear. The first method is prefera- 
ble when the butter is made daily, for immediate use, from 
new milk or cream j because the portions of such adhering to 
it, or mixed with it, contribute to produce the sweet agreeable 
flavor which distinguishes new cream. But when our object 
is to prepare butter for keeping, we cannot repeat the wash- 



46 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

ings too often, since the presence of a small quantity of milk 
in it will, in less than twelve hours after churning, cause it 
sensibly to lose its good qualities. 

" The process of washing butter is usually nothing more 
than throwing it into an earthen vessel of clear cool water, 
working it to and fro with the hands, and changing the water 
until it comes off clear. A much preferable method, however, 
and that which we believe is now always practised by those 
who best understand the business, is to use two broad pieces 
of wood, instead of the hands. This is to be preferred, not 
only on account of its apparently greater cleanliness, but also 
because it is of decided advantage to the quality of the but- 
ter. To this the warmth of the hand gives always, more or 
less, a greasy appearance. The influence of the heat of the 
hand is greater than might at first have been suspected. It 
has always been remarked, that a person who has naturally a 
warm hand never makes good butter." 

COLORING BUTTER. 

As butter made in winter is generally pale or white, and its 
richness, at the same time, inferior to that which is made 
during the summer months, the idea of excellence has been 
associated with the yellow color. Means are therefore em- 
ployed, by those who prepare and sell butter, to impart to it 
the yellow color where that is naturally wanting. The sub- 
stances mostly employed in England and Scotland are the 
root of the carrot and the flowers of the marigold. The juice 
of either of these is expressed and passed through a linen 
cloth. A small quantity of it (and the proportion of it neces- 
sary is soon learned by experience) is diluted with a little 
cream, and this mixture is added to the rest of the cream when 
it enters the churn. So little of this coloring matter unites 
with the butter, that it never communicates to it any peculiar 
taste. 



ORGANS OF DIGESTION IN CATTLE. 47 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGANS OP DIGESTION IN CATTLE. 

(Esophagus, or Gullet. — This tube extends from the mouth 
to the stomach, and is the medium through which the food is 
conveyed to the latter organ. This tube is furnished with 
spiral muscles, which run in different directions. By this ar- 
rangement, the food ascends or descends at the will of the 
animal. The inner coat of the gullet is a continuation of the 
same membrane that lines the mouth, nostrils, &c. The gul- 
let passes down the neck, inclining to the left side of the 
windpipe, until it reaches the diaphragm, through a perfora- 
tion of which it passes, and finally terminates in the stomach. 
The food, having undergone a slight mastication by the action 
of the teeth, is formed into a pellet, and, being both mois- 
tened and lubricated with saliva, passes down the gullet, by 
the action of the muscles, and falls immediately into the 
paunch, or rumen ; here the food undergoes a process of macer- 
ation, or trituration. The food, after remaining in this portion 
of the stomach a short time, and being submitted to the united 
action of heat and moisture, passes into another division of the 
stomach, called reticulum, the inner surface of which abounds 
in cells : at the bottom, and indeed in all parts of them there 
are glands, which secrete from the blood the gastric fluids. 
This stomach possesses a -property similar to that of the blad- 
der, viz., that of contracting upon its contents. In the act of 
contracting, it squeezes out a portion of the partly masticated 
food and fluids ; the former comes within the spiral muscles, 
is embraced by them, and thus ascends the gullet, and passes 
into the mouth for remastication. The soft and fluid parts 
continue on to the many plus and true digestive stomach. The 
second stomach again receives a portion from the paunch, and 
the process is continued. 

Rumination and digestion, however, are mechanico-vital 
actions, and can only be properly performed when the animal 
is in a healthy state. 

Now, a portion of the food, we just observed, had ascended 



48 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR, 

the gullet by the aid of spiral muscles, and entered the mouth ; 
it is again submitted to the action of the grinders, and a fresh 
supply of saliva ; it is at length swallowed a second time, and 
goes through the same routine as that just described, passing 
into the manyplus or manifolds, as it is termed. 

The manyplus abounds internally in a number of leaves, 
called laminae. Some of these are attached to the upper and 
lower portion of the division, and also float loose, and pene- 
trate into the oesophagian canal. The laminse have numerous 
projections on their surface, resembling the papillae to be found 
on the tongue. The action of this stomach is one of alter- 
nate contraction and expansion : it secretes, however, like the 
other compartments of the stomach, its due share of gastric 
fluids, with a view not only of softening its contents, but for 
the purpose of defending its own surface against friction. 
The mechanical action of the stomach is communicated to it 
partly by the motion of the diaphragm, and its own muscular 
arrangement. It will readily be perceived, that by this joint 
action the food is submitted to a sort of grinding process. 
Hence any over-distention of the viscera, from either food or 
gas, will embarrass and prevent the free and full play of this 
organ. The papillae, or prominences, present a rough and 
sufficiently hard exterior to grind down the food, unless it 
shall have escaped the reticulum in too fibrous a form : fox- 
grass, cornstalks, and frosted turnips are very apt to make sad 
havoc in this and other parts of the stomach, owing to their 
unyielding nature ; for the stomach, like other parts of the 
organization, suffers from over-exertion, and a corresponding 
debility ensues. 

The fourth division of the stomach of the ox is called abo- 
masum. It somewhat resembles the duodenum of the horse 
in its function, it being the true digestive stomach. It is 
studded with numerous nerves, blood-vessels, and small glands. 
It is a laboratory admirably fitted up by the Divine Artist, 
and is capable of carrying on the chemico-vital process as 
long as the animal lives, provided its healthy functions are 
not impaired. The glands alluded to secrete from the blood 



ORGANS OF DIGESTION IN CATTLE. * 49 

a powerful solvent, called the gastric juice, which is the agent 
in reducing the food to chyme and chyle. This, however, is 
accomplished by the united agency of the bile and pancreatic 
juice. Both these fluids are conveyed into the abomasum by 
means of small tubes or canals. Secretions also take place 
from the inner membrane of the intestines, and, as the result 
of the united action of all these fluids, aided by the muscular 
motion just alluded to, which is also communicated to the 
intestines, a substance is formed called chyle, which is the 
most nutritious portion of the food, and has a milky appear- 
ance. The chyle is received into a set of very minute tubes, 
called lacteals, which are exceedingly numerous, and arise by 
open mouths from the inner surface of the abomasum and in- 
testines. They receive the chyle ; from thence it passes into 
a receptacle, and finally into the thoracic duct. The thoracic 
duct opens into a vein leading directly to the heart ; so that 
whatever portion of the chyle is not actually needed by the 
organism is thoroughly mixed with the general mass of blood. 
That portion of chyme which is not needed, or cannot be con- 
verted into chyle, descends into the intestines, and is finally 
carried out of the body by the rectum. 

The manner in which the gastric fluids act on alimentary 
matter, is by solution and chemical action ; for cornstalks and 
fox-grass, that cannot be dissolved by ammonia or alcohol, 
yield readily to the solyent power of the gastric secretion. 
Bones and other hard substances are reduced to a pulpy mass 
in the stomach of a dog ; while, at the same time, many 
bodies of delicate texture remain in the stomach, and ulti- 
mately are ejected, without being affected by the gastric fluids. 
This different action on different subjects is analogous to the 
operation of chemical affinity, and corroborates the theory that 
digestion is effected by solution and chemical action. 

The Spleen, or Milt, is an oblong, dark-colored substance, 
having attachments to the paunch. It is composed of blood- 
vessels, nerves, and lymphatics, united by cellular structure. 
It appears to serve as a reservoir for the blood that may be 
designed for the secretion of bile in the liver. P. M. Roget 



50 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

says, " Any theory that assigns a very important function to 
the spleen will be overturned by the fact, that in many 
animals the removal of this organ, far from being fatal, or 
interrupting, in any sensible manner, the continuance of the 
functions, seems to be borne with perfect impunity." Sir E. 
Home, Bichat, Leuret, Lassaigne, and others, suppose that 
" the spleen serves as a receptacle for the superfluous quantity 
of fluid taken into the stomach." 

The Liver is a dense gland, of a lobulated structure, situ- 
ated below the diaphragm, or " skirt." It is supplied, like 
other organs, with arterial blood, by vessels, called hepatic 
arteries, which are sent off from the great aorta. It receives 
also a large amount of venous blood, which is distributed 
through its substance by a separate set of vessels, derived 
from the venous system. The veins which receive the blood 
that has circulated in the usual manner unite together into a 
large trunk, called vena portae, (gate vein,) and this vein, on 
entering the liver, ramifies like an artery, and ultimately ter- 
minates in the branches of the hepatic veins, which transmit 
the blood, in the ordinary course of circulation, to the vena 
cava, (hollow vein.) Mr. Kiernan says, " The hepatic veins, 
together with the lobules which surround them, resemble, in 
their arrangement, the branches and leaves of a tree, the sub- 
stance of the lobules being disposed around the minute 
branches of the veins like the parenchyma of a leaf around 
its fibres. The hepatic veins may be divided into two classes, 
namely, those contained in lobules, and those contained in 
canals formed by lobules. The first class is composed of in- 
terlobular branches, one of which occupies the centre of each 
lobule, and receives the blood from a plexus formed in the 
lobule by the portal vein ; and the second class of hepatic 
veins is composed of all those vessels contained in canals 
formed by the lobules, and including numerous small branches, 
as well as the large trunks terminating in the inferior cava. 
The external surface of every lobule is covered by a,n expan- 
sion of l Glisson y s capsule,' by which it is connected to, as well 
as separated from, contiguous lobules, and in which branches of 



ORGANS OF DIGESTION IN CATTLE. 51 

the hepatic duct, portal veins, and hepatic artery ramify. The 
ultimate branches of the hepatic artery terminate in the 
branches of the portal vein, where the blood they respective- 
ly contain is mixed together, and from which mixed blood the 
bile is secreted by the lobules, and conveyed away by the 
hepatic ducts. The remaining blood is returned to the heart 
by the hepatic veins, the beginnings of which occupy the 
centre of each lobule, and, when collected into trunks, pour 
their contents into the inferior cava. Hence the blood which 
has circulated through the liver, and has thereby lost its arte- 
rial character, is, in common with that which is returning 
from other parts, poured into the vena portas, and contributes 
its share in furnishing materials for the biliary secretion. The 
hepatic artery furnishes nutrition to the liver itself." 

The bile, having been secreted, accumulates in the gall- 
bladder, where it is kept for future use. When the healthy 
action of the fourth stomach is interrupted, the bile is sup- 
posed to be reabsorbed, — it enters into the different tissues, 
producing yellowness of the eyes ; the malady is then termed 
yellows, jaundice, &c. Sometimes the passage of the bile is 
obstructed by calculi, or gall-stones : they have been found 
in great numbers in oxen. 

The Pancreas is composed of a number of lobules or 
glands ; a small duct proceeds from each ; they unite and form 
a common canal, which /proceeds towards, and terminates in, 
the fourth stomach. The pancreatic juice appears to be ex- 
ceedingly analogous, both in its sensible properties and chem- 
ical composition, to the saliva. 

" The recent researches of MM. Bouchardat, Sandras, 
Mialhe, Bareswil, and Bernard himself, have placed beyond a 
doubt the existence of a ferment, in some of the fluids which 
mix with the alimentary mass, destined to convert starchy 
matters into sugar. They have proved that the gastric juice 
has for its peculiar office the solution and digestion of azo- 
tized substances. There remained to be ascertained the real 
agent for the digestion of fatty matters ; that is to say, the 
agent in the formation of chyle out of those substances* 



52 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

" M. Bernard has proved that this remarkable office is per- 
formed by the pancreatic juice ; he has demonstrated the fact 
by three conclusive proofs. 

" 1. The pancreatic juice, pure and recently formed, forms 
an emulsion with oils and fats with the greatest facility. 
This emulsion may be preserved for a long time, and the fatty 
substance soon undergoes a fermentation which separates its 
constituent acids. 

" 2. The chyle only begins to appear in the lacteals below 
that part of the intestipal tube where the pancreatic juice 
enters it to mix with the alimentary matters. 

" 3. In disorders of the pancreas, we find that the fatty 
matters, contained in the food, pass entire in the evacu- 
ations." 

The above is an extract from the report of a body com- 
posed of several members of the French Academy of Sci- 
ences. "M. Bernard" (continues the report) " has exhibited 
to us the first of these experiments, and has furnished us 
with the means of repeating it with the several varieties of 
the gastric juice. We have not the slightest doubt on the 
subject. It is incontestable that fatty substances are converted 
into an emulsion by this juice, in a manner easy and persist- 
ent, and it is no less true that the saliva, the gastric juice, and 
the bile are destitute of this property. 

" The second demonstration can be given in various modes ; 
but the author has discovered, in the peculiar arrangement of 
the digestive apparatus of the rabbit, an unexceptional means 
of obtaining it with the greatest precision, and at will. The 
pancreatic juice enters the intestinal tube of this animal about 
fourteen inches below the point where the bile is poured in. 
Now, as long as the food is above the region where it mixes 
with the pancreatic juice, there appears to be no formation 
and separation of a milky chyle ; nothing shows that the fatty 
matters are reduced to an emulsion. On the contrary, as 
soon as the pancreatic juice mixes with the alimentary mat- 
ters, we observe the fat to be converted into an emulsion, and 
a milky chyle to fill the corresponding lacteals. Nothing can 



RESPIRATION AND STRUCTURE OF THE LUNGS. 53 

give an idea of the result of these experiments, which have 
all the accuracy of a chemical operation performed in the 
laboratory, and all the beauty of the most perfect injection. 

" We are not, therefore, surprised that divers pathological 
cases, hitherto imperfectly understood, should come to con- 
firm the views of M. Bernard, by proving that, in diseases of 
the pancreas, fatty matters have been observed to pass un- 
changed in the dejections. 

M The committee cannot hesitate to conclude that the 
author has perfectly demonstrated his physiological proposi- 
tions ; that he has completed the general characters of the 
theory of digestion, and that he has made known the mode 
of formation of the fatty matter of the chyle, and the man- 
ner of the digestion of the fatty matters." 

The Kidneys. — Their office is, to secrete from the blood 
the useless or excrementitious fluids in the form of urine. 
When the skin is obstructed, the secretion is augmented, and 
profuse perspiration lessens it. From a cavity in the centre 
of each kidney a canal or tube proceeds, by which the urine 
is conveyed into the bladder. These tubes are named ureters. 
As the ureters enter the bladder, they pass forward, a short 
distance between its coats ; which effectually prevents the 
urine from taking a retrograde course. The urine is expelled 
by the muscular power which the bladder possesses of con- 
tracting upon its contents. 



RESPIRATION AND STRUCTURE OF THE LUNGS. 

The organs of respiration are the larynx, the trachea, or 
windpipe, bronchia, and the lungs. 

The air is expelled from the lungs principally by the action 
of the muscles of respiration j and when these relax, the 
lungs expand by virtue of their own elasticity. This may 
be exemplified by means of a sponge, which may be com- 



54 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

pressed into a small compass by the hand, but, upon opening 
the hand, the sponge returns to its natural size, and all its 
cavities become filled with air. The purification of the blood 
in the lungs is of vital importance, and indispensably neces- 
sary to the due performance of all the functions ; for if they 
be in a diseased state, — either tuberculous, or having adhe- 
sions to the pleura, their function will be impaired ; the blood 
will appear black ; loaded with carbon ; and the phlebotomi- 
zer will have the very best (worst) excuse for taking away a 
few quarts with a view of purifying the remainder ! The 
trachea, or windpipe, after dividing into smaller branches, 
called bronchia, again subdivides into innumerable other 
branches, the extremities of which are composed of an infinite 
number of small cells, which, with the ramifications of veins, 
arteries, nerves, and connecting membranes, make up the 
whole mass or substance of the lungs. The internal surface 
of the windpipe, bronchea, and air-cells, is lined with a del- 
icate membrane, highly organized with blood-vessels, &c. 
The whole is invested with a thin, transparent membrane — 
a continuation of that lining the chest, named pleura. It also 
covers the diaphragm, and, by a duplication of its folds, forms 
a separation between the lobes of the lungs. 



CIRCULATION OP THE BLOOD. 

The blood contains the elements for building up, supplying 
the waste of, and nourishing the whole animal economy. On 
making an examination of the blood with a microscope, it is 
found full of little red globules, which vary in their size and 
shape in different animals, and are more numerous in the warm 
than in the cold-blooded. Probably this arises from the fact 
that the latter absorb less oxygen than the former. When 
blood stands for a time after being drawn, it separates into two 
parts. One is called serum, and resembles the white of an 



(55) 



THE HEART VIEWED EXTERNALLY. 




a, the left ventricle ; b, the right ventricle ; c, e,f, the aorta ; g, h, i, the carotid 
and other arteries springing from the aorta ; k, the pulmonary artery ; I, branches 
of the pulmonary artery in the lungs ; m, m, the pulmonary veins emptying into the 
left auricle; n, the right auricle; o, the ascending vena cava; q, the descending 
vena cava ; r, the left auricle ; s, the coronary vein and artery. (See Circulation of 
the Blood, on the opposite page.) 



56 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

egg j the other is the clot, or crassamentum, and forms the red 
coagulum, or jelly-like substance. This is accompanied by 
whitish tough threads, called fibrin e. 

When blood has been drawn from an animal, and it assumes 
a cupped or hollow form, if serum, or burly coat, remains on 
its surface, it denotes an impoverished state ; but if the whole, 
when coagulated, be of one uniform mass, it indicates a healthy 
state of that fluid. The blood of a young animal, provided it 
be in health, coagulates into a firm mass, while that of an old 
or debilitated one is generally less dense, and more easily 
separated. The power that propels the blood through the 
different blood-vessels is a mechanico-vital power, and is ac- 
complished through the involuntary contractions and relaxa- 
tions of the heart j from certain parts of which arteries arise, 
in other parts veins terminate. (See Plate.) 

The heart is invested with a strong membranous sac, called 
pericardium, which adheres to the tendinous centre of the 
diaphragm, and to the great vessels at its superior portion. 
The heart is lubricated by a serous fluid, secreted within the 
pericardium, for the purpose of guarding against friction. 
When an excess of fluid accumulates within the sac, it is 
termed dropsy of the heart. The heart is divided into four 
cavities, viz., two auricles, named from their resemblance to 
an ear, and two ventricles, (as seen at a, &,) forming the 
body. The left ventricle is smaller than the right, yet its 
walls are much thicker and stronger than those of the latter : 
it is from this part that the large trunk of the arteries proceed, 
called the great aorta. The right cavity, or ventricle, is the 
receptacle for blood returned by the venous structure after 
having gone the rounds of the circulation ; the veins termi- 
nating, as they approach the heart, in a single vessel, called 
vena cava, (see plate, o, q, ascending and descending portion.) 
The auricle on the left side of the heart receives the blood 
that has been distributed through the lungs for purification. 
Where the veins terminate in auricles, there are valves placed, 
to prevent the blood from returning. For example, the blood 
proceeds out of the heart along the aorta ; the valve opens up- 



CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD. 57 

wards j the blood also moves upwards, and raises the valve, 
and passes through • the pressure from above effectually closes 
the passage. The valves of the heart are composed of elastic 
cartilage, which admits of free motion. They sometimes, 
however, become ossified. The heart and its appendages 
are, like other parts of the system, subject to various diseases, 
which are frequently very little understood, yet often fatal. 
Now, the blood, having passed through the veins and vena 
cava, flows into the right auricle ; and this, when distended, 
contracts, and forces its contents into the right ventricle, which, 
contracting in its turn, propels the blood into the pulmonary 
arteries, whose numerous ramifications bring it in contact 
with the air-cells of the lungs. It then, being deprived of its 
carbon, assumes a crimson color. Having passed through its 
proper vessels, it accumulates in the left auricle. This also 
contracts, and forces the blood through a valve into the left 
ventricle. This ventricle then contracts in its turn, and the 
blood passes through another valve into the great aorta, to go 
the round of the circulation and return in the manner just 
described. 

Many interesting experiments have been made to estimate 
the quantity of blood in an animal. " The weight of a dog," 
says Mr. Percival, "being ascertained to be seventy-nine 
pounds, a puncture was made with the lancet into the jugu- 
lar vein, from which the blood was collected. The vein 
having ceased to bleed, the carotid artery of the same side 
was divided, but no blood came from it ; in a few seconds 
afterwards, the animal was dead. The weight of the carcass 
was now found to be seventy-three and a half pounds ; con- 
sequently it had sustained a loss of five and a half pounds — 
precisely the measure of the blood drawn. It appears from 
this experiment, that an animal will lose about one fifteenth 
part of its weight of blood before it dies ; though a less quan- 
tity may so far debilitate the vital powers, as to be, though 
less suddenly, equally fatal. In the human subject, the quan- 
tity of blood has been computed at about one eighth part of 
the weight of the body ; and as such an opinion has been 
8 



58 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

broached from the results of experiments on quadrupeds, we 
may fairly take that to be about the proportion of it in the 
horse ; so that if we estimate the weight of a horse to be thir- 
teen hundred and forty-four pounds, the whole quantity of 
blood will amount to eighty-four quarts, or one hundred and 
sixty-eight pounds ; of which about forty-five quarts, or ninety 
pounds, will commonly flow from the jugular vein prior to 
death ; though the loss of a much less quantity will deprive 
the animal of life. 



REMARKS ON BLOOD-LETTING. 

The author has been, for several years, engaged in a war- 
fare against the use of the lancet in the treatment of the vari- 
ous diseases of animals. When this warfare was first com- 
menced, the prospect was poor indeed. The lancet was the 
great anti-phlogistic of the allopathic school ; it had power- 
ful, talented, and uncompromising advocates, who had been 
accustomed to resort to it on all occasions, from the early set- 
tlement of America up to that period. The great mass had 
followed in the footsteps of their predecessors, supposing them 
to be infallible. Men and animals were bled ; rivers of blood 
have been drawn from their systems ; yet they often got well, 
and men looked upon the lancet as one of the blessings of 
the age, when, in fact, it is the greatest curse that ever afflict- 
ed this country : it has produced greater losses to owners of 
domestic animals than did ever pestilence or disease. A few 
philanthropic practitioners have, from time to time, in other 
countries, as well as in this, labored during their life, and on 
their death-bed, to convince the world of the destructive ten- 
dency of blood-letting in human practice ; but none that we 
know of ever had the moral courage to wage a general war- 
fare against the practice in the veterinary department, until 
we commenced it. We have met with great success, and 
liave given the blood-letting gentry who practise it at the 



REMARKS ON BLOOD-LETTING. 59 

present day ("just to please their employers or to make out a 
case ") a partial quietus : in a few more years, unless they 
abandon their false theories, their occupation, notwithstanding 
their pretensions to cure secundum artem, will, like Othello's, 
be "gone." But we are not writing for doctors. Our busi- 
ness is with the farmers — the lords of creation. The for- 
mer are mere lords of pukes and purges ; they, like the farm- 
ers, have the materials, however, to mould themselves into 
men of common sense ; but the fact is, they are hide-bound ; 
they want a national sweat, to rid their systems, especially 
their upper works, of the theories of Sydenham and Para- 
celsus, which have shipwrecked many thousands of the med- 
ical profession. They shut their eyes to the results of medi- 
cal reform, and cling, with all their soul, and with all their 
might, worthy a better cause, to a system that " always was 
false." 

Lord Byron, like many other learned men, was well 
acquainted with the impotency of the healing art, and held 
the lancet in utter abhorrence : when beset, day and night, to 
be bled, the bard, in an angry tone, exclaimed, " You are, I 

see, a d d set of butchers ; take away as much blood as 

you like." " We seized the opportunity," says Dr. Milligan, 
" and drew twenty ounces ; yet the relief did not correspond 
to the hopes we had formed." On the 17th, the bleeding was 
twice repeated, dangerous symptoms still increasing, and on the 
19th he expired, just about bled to death. Washington, a 
man whose name is dear to every American, died from the 
effects of an evil system of medication. He was attacked 
with croup : his physician bled him, and gave him calomel 
and antimony. The next day, physicians were called in, (to 
share the responsibility of the butchery,) and he was subject- 
ed to two more copious bleedings : in all he lost ninety ounces 
of blood. Which of our readers, at the present day, would 
submit to such unwarrantable barbarity ? We just said we 
were not writing for doctors ; yet we find ourselves off the 
track in thus administering a small dose, as a sample of 
" good and efficient treatment." 



60 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

In reference to the success attending our labors in veteri- 
nary reform, we do not claim the whole credit : much of it is 
due to the intelligence of the American farmers, in appre- 
ciating the value and importance of a safer and a more effec- 
tual system of medication ; such a system as we advocate. 
They have witnessed the results attending the practice of 
cattle doctors generally, and they have seen the results of our 
sanative system of medication, and a great majority in Mas- 
sachusetts have decided in favor of the latter. We have de- 
monstrated to the satisfaction of our patrons, and we are ready 
and willing to repeat our experiments on diseased animals for 
the satisfaction of others, in showing that we can restore an 
animal, when suffering under acute attacks of disease, in a 
few hours, when, by the popular method, it takes weeks and 
months, if indeed they ever recover from the effects of the 
destructive agents used. 

We are told that u horses and cattle are bled and get well 
immediately." This may apply to some cases ; but, in very 
many instances, the animals are sent for a few weeks to 
"Dr. Green,"* to put them in the same condition they were 
at the time of bleeding. But suppose that some animals do 
get well after bleeding ; is it thus proved that more would 
not get well if no blood were drawn from any ? A cow may 
fall down, and, in so doing, lacerate her muscles, blood- 
vessels, &c, and lose a large quantity of blood. She may 
get well, in spite of the violence and loss of blood. So 
we say of blood-letting, if the abstraction of a certain num- 
ber of gallons of blood will kill a strong animal, then the 
abstraction of a small quantity must injure it proportionately. 

There is in the animal economy a power, called the vital 
principle, which always operates in favor of health. If the 
provocation be gentle, and does not seriously derange the 
machinery, then this power may overcome both it and any 
disease the animal may at the time labor under. For exam- 
ple, a horse falls down in the street, perhaps laboring under a 

* A piece of pasture land. 



REMARKS ON BLOOD-LETTING. 61 

temporary congestion of the brain : now, if he were let alone un- 
til nature has restored an equilibrium of the circulating fluid and 
nervous action, he would soon get up and proceed on his way, 
as many thousands do when a knife or lancet is not to be had. 
But, unfortunately, people are too hasty. The moment a 
beast has fallen, they are bound to have him on his perpen- 
diculars in double quick time. The teamster cannot wait for 
nature ; she is " too slow a coach " for him. He tries what 
virtue there is in the whip ; this failing, he obtains a knife, 
if one is to be had, and " starts the blood." By this time, 
nature, about resuming her empire, causes the horse to show 
signs of returning animation, and the credit is awarded to the 
blood-starter. Animals are often bled when diseased, and the 
prominent symptoms that previously marked the character of 
the malady disappear, or give place to symptoms of another 
order, less evident, and men have supposed that a cure is 
effected, when, in fact, they have just sown the seeds of a 
future disease. We are not bound to prove, in every case, 
how an animal gets well after two or three repeated bleedings. 
It is enough for us to prove that this operation always tends 
to death, which can easily be produced by opening the carot- 
id artery of an animal. 

Permit us, dear reader, at this stage of our article, to ob- 
serve, that "confession is good for the soul." We mean to 
put it in practice. So here goes. We plead guilty to bleed- 
ing, blistering, calomelizing, narcotizing, antimonializing, a 
great number of patients of the human kind. We did it in 
our verdant days, because it was so scientific and popular, 
and because we had been taught to reverence the stereotyped 
practice of the allopathists. We have, however, done penance, 
and sought forgiveness ; and through the aid of a few men, 
devoted to medical reform, we have been washed in the 
regenerating waters flowing through the vineyard of reason 
and experience, and now advocate and observe the self-regu- 
lating powers of the laws of life. On the other hand, we 
are free from the charge of bleeding or poisoning domestic 
animals, and can say, with a clear conscience, that we have 



62 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

never drawn a drop of blood from a four-footed creature, (ex- 
cept in surgical operations, when it could not be avoided;) 
neither will we, under any circumstances, resort to the lancet ; 
for we are convinced that blood-letting is a powerful depress- 
or of the vital powers. 

Blood is the fuel that keeps the lamp of life burning ; if the 
fuel be withdrawn, the light is extinguished. 

Professor Lobstein says, "So far from blood-letting being 
beneficial, it is productive of the most serious consequences 
— a cruel practice, and a scourge to humanity. How many 
thousands are sent by it to an untimely grave ! Without blood 
there is no heat, no motion in the body." 

Dr. Reid says, " If the employment of the lancet was abol- 
ished altogether, it would perhaps save annually a greater 
number of lives than pestilence ever destroyed." 

The fact of blood-letting having been practised by horse 
and cattle doctors from time immemorial is certainly not a 
clear proof of its utility, nor is it a sufficient recommendation 
that it may be practised with safety. During my professional 
career, the preconceived theories have commanded a due share 
of consideration ; and, when weighed in the scale of unin- 
fluenced experience, they never failed of falling short. If we 
grant that any deviation from the healthy state denotes debil- 
ity of one or more functions, then whatever has a tendency 
to debilitate further cannot restore the animal to health. The 
following case will serve to illustrate our position : " A horse 
was brought to be bled, merely because he had been accus- 
tomed to it at that season of the year. I did not examine him 
minutely ; but as the groom stated there was nothing amiss 
with him, I directed a moderate quantity of blood to be drawn. 
About five pints were taken off; and while the operator 
was pinning up the wound, the horse fell. He appeared to 
suffer much pain, and had considerable difficulty of breathing. 
In this state he remained twelve hours, and then died. Judg- 
ing from the appearances at the post mortem examination, it 
is probable that a loss of a moderate quantity of blood caused 
a fatal interruption of the functions of the heart." 



REMARKS ON BLOOD-LETTING. 63 

It is strange that such cases as these do not open men's 
eyes, and compel them to acknowledge that there is some- 
thing wrong in the medical world. Such cases as these furnish 
us with unanswerable arguments against blood-letting ; for as 
the blood, which is the natural stimulus of, and gives strength 
to, the organs, is withdrawn, its abstraction leaves all those 
organs less capable of self-defence. 

Horse and cattle doctors have recommended bleeding when 
animals have been fed too liberally, or if their systems abound 
in morbific matter. Now, the most sensible course would be, 
provided the animal had been overfed, to reduce the quantity 
of food, or, in other words, remove the cause. If the secre- 
tions are vitiated, or in a morbid state, then regulate them by 
the means laid down in this work. For we cannot purify a 
well of water by abstracting a few buckets ; neither can we 
purify the whole mass of blood by taking away a few quarts ; 
for that which is left will still be impure. If the different 
parts had between them partitions impervious to fluids, then 
there would be some sense in drawing out of the vessels over- 
filled ; but unfortunately, if you draw from one, you draw 
from all the rest. 

In every disease wherein bleeding has been used, complete 
recovery has been protracted, and the animal manifests the 
debility by swelled legs and other unmistakable evidences. 
In some cases, however, the ill effects of the loss of blood, 
unless excessive, are not always immediately perceived ; yet 
such animals, in after years, are subject to staggers, and dis- 
eases of the lungs, pleura, and peritoneum. 

Dr. Beach says, " The blood is properly called the vital 
fluid, and the life of a person is said to be in the blood.* We 
know that just in proportion to the loss of this substance are 
our vigor and strength taken from us. When taken from the 
system by accident or the lancet, it is succeeded by great 
prostration of strength, and a derangement of all the functions 

* Then the life of an animal is also in the blood ; and the same evil con- 
sequences follow its abstraction. 



64 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

of the body. These effects are invariably, in a greater or less 
degree, consequent on bleeding. Is it not, then, reasonable to 
suppose, that what will debilitate the strongest constitution in 
a state of health, will be attended with most serious evils 
when applied to a person laboring under any malady ? Is it 
not like throwing spirits on a fire to extinguish it ? 

" Bleeding is resorted to in all inflammatory complaints ; 
but did practitioners know the nature and design of inflamma- 
tion, their treatment would be different. In fever it is pro- 
duced by an increased action of the heart and arteries, to expel 
acrid and noxious humors, and should be promoted until the 
irritating matter is dislodged from the system. This should 
be effected, in general, by opening the outlets of the body, 
inducing perspiration ; to produce which a preternatural de- 
gree of heat or inflammation must be excited by internal reme- 
dies. Fever is nothing more or less than a wholesome and 
salutary effort of nature to throw off some morbific matter j 
and, therefore, every means to lessen this indication proves in- 
jurious. Bleeding, in consequence of the debility it produces, 
prevents such indication from being fulfilled." 

The inveterate phlebotomizers recommend and practise 
bleeding when " the animal has too much blood." There may 
be at times too much blood, and at others too little ; but sup- 
pose there is, — has any body found out any better method 
of reducing what they please to term an excess, than that of 
regular exercise in the open air, combined with a less quan- 
tity of fodder than usual ? Or has any body found out any 
method of making good healthy blood, other than the slow 
process of nature, as exhibited in the results of digestion, se- 
cretion, circulation, and nutrition? Have they discovered 
any artificial means of restoring the blood to its healthful 
quantity when it is deficient ? Have they found any means 
of purifying the blood, save the healthful operations of na- 
ture's secreting and excreting laboratory ? Finally, have they 
found any safety-valve or outlet for the reduction of this ex- 
cess other than the excrementitious vessels ? And if they have, 
are they better able to adjust the pressure on that valve than 



REMARKS ON BLOOD-LETTING. 65 

He who made the whole machinery, and knows the relative 
strength of all its parts? In an article on blood-letting, 
found in the Farmer's Cyclopaedia, the author says, " In 
summer, bleeding is often necessary to prevent fevers." 
Now, it is evident that nature's preventives are air, exercise, 
food, water, and sleep. Attention to the rules laid down in 
this work, under the heads of Watering, Feeding, &c, will 
be more satisfactory and less dangerous than that recommended 
by the Cyclopaedia. If the directions given in the latter 
were fully carried out, the stock of our farms would be swept 
away as by the blast of a tornado. Such a barbarous system 
would entail universal misery and degeneracy on all classes 
of live stock ; and we might then exclaim, u They are living, 
yet half dead — victims to an inconsistent system of medica- 
tion ! " But thanks to a discerning public, they just begin to 
see the absurdity and wickedness of draining the system of 
the living principles. Veterinary reform has germinated in the 
New England States, and, in spite of all opposition, has struck 
its roots deep into the minds of a class of men who have the 
means and power to send forth its healing branches, and ap- 
ply them to their own interest and the welfare of their stock. 
The same author continues : " Some farriers bleed horses 
three or four times a year." We hope the farmers have too 
much good sense to follow the wicked example of the former. 
Frequent bleeding is an indirect mode of butchery — killing 
by inches ; for it gives to the blood- vessels the power to con- 
tract and adapt themselves to the measure of blood that 
remains. It impoverishes the blood, and leads to hydrothorax, 
(accumulation of water in the chest,) and materially shortens 
life. Mackintosh says, " Some are bled who cannot bear it, 
and others who do not require it ; and the result is death." 
The conservative power of life always operates in favor of 
health, and resists the encroachments upon her province with 
all her might, and often recovers the dominion ; but by fre- 
quent bleedings, she is exhausted, and, on taking a little more 
blood than usual, the animal drops down and dies ; and the 
owner attributes to disease what, in fact, is the result of bad 
treatment. 



66 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

" Patients who recover after general and copious bleedings 
have been employed, may attribute their recovery to the 
strength of their constitution. 

" If you should ask a modem Sangrado what was most 
necessary in the treatment of disease, doubtless he would 
reply, l Bleeding.' " 

" Our modern pathologists, surgeons and others, think 
bleeding the factotum in all maladies ; it is the ne plus ultra, 
when drawn in large quantities. Blood-letting, say these 
authors, is not only the most powerful and important, but the 
most generally used, of all our remedies. Scarcely a case of 
acute, or, indeed, of chronic, disease occurs in which it does 
not become necessary to consider the propriety of having 
recourse to the lancet." ( ? ? ) To what extent blood-letting 
is carried, in our modern age, may be learned by reading 
Youatt and others, who recommend it " when animals rub 
themselves, and the hair falls off ; when the eyes appear dull 
and languid, red or inflamed ; in all inflammatory complaints, 
as of the brain, lungs, kidneys, bowels, womb, bladder, and 
joints ; in all bruises, hurts, wounds, and all other accidents ; 
in cold, catarrh, paralysis, and locked-jaw." Yet, strange to 
say, one of these authors qualifies his recommendations as 
follows : " No man, however wise, can tell exactly how much 
blood ought to be taken in a given case." Now, it is well 
known that the draining of blood from a vein, though it 
diminishes the vital resistance, and lessens the volume of 
fluids, does not mend the matter ; for it thus gives to cold 
and atmospheric agents the ascendant influence. A collapse 
takes place, the secretions become impaired, the animal refuses 
its food, ''looks dumpish," &c. 

We might continue this article to an indefinite length ; but 
as we shall, in the following pages, have occasion to refer to 
the use of the lancet as a destructive agent, we conclude it 
with the following remarks of an English physician : " Our 
most valuable remedies against inflammation are but ill adapt- 
ed for curing that state of disease. They do not act directly 
on the diseased part ; the action is only indirect ; therefore it 



EFFORTS OF NATURE TO REMOVE DISEASE. 67 

is imperfect. Bleeding, the best of any of these remedies, is 
in this predicament." 



EFFORTS OF NATURE TO REMOVE DISEASE. 

" Nature is ever busy, by the silent operations of her own forces, in curing 
disease." — Dixon. 

Whenever any irritating substance comes in contact with 
sensitive surfaces, nature, or the vis medicatrix natures, goes 
immediately to work to remove the offending cause : for ex- 
ample, should any substance lodge on the mucous surface, 
within the nostril, although it be imperceptible, as often hap- 
pens when the hay is musty, it abounds in particles whose 
specific gravity enables them to float in atmospheric air ; 
they are then inhaled in the act of respiration, and nature, in 
order to wash off" the offending matter, sends a quantity of 
fluid to the part. The same process may be observed when 
a small piece of hay, or other foreign matter, shall have fallen 
into the eye : the tears then flow in great abundance, to pre- 
vent that delicate organ being injured. " When a blister is 
applied to the surface, it first excites a genial warmth, with 
inflammation of the skin ; and nature, distressed, goes in- 
stantly to work, separates the cuticle to form a bag, interposes 
serum between the nerves and the offensive matter, then pre- 
pares another cuticle, that, when the former, with the adher- 
ing substance, shall fall off, the nervous papillae may be again 
provided with a covering. 

" The same reasoning will apply to the operation of emet- 
ics and cathartics ; for not only is the peristaltic motion either 
greatly quickened or inverted, according to the urgency of 
the distress, but both the mucous glands and the exhalent 
arteries pour forth their fluids in abundance to wash away the 
offending matter, which at one time acts chemically, at others 
mechanically." 

If a horse, or an ox, be wounded in the foot with a nail, 



68 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

and a portion of it is broken off and remains in the wound, 
inflammation sets in, producing suppuration, and the nail is 
discharged. 

A few days ago, we were called to see a horse, said to have 
a swelling on the tarsus, (hock.) On an examination, it 
proved to be an abscess, well developed ; the matter could be 
distinctly felt at the most prominent part. We should cer- 
tainly have been justified (at least in the eyes of the medical 
world ; and then it would have looked so " doctor-like " !) in 
displaying a case of instruments and opening the tumor. If 
ulceration, gangrene, &c, set in, and the horse ultimately 
became lame, no blame could be attached to us, because the 
practice is scientific! — recognized by the schools as good 
and efficient treatment. What was to be done ? Why, it 
was evident that we could not do better than to aid nature. 
A relaxing, anti-spasmodic poultice was confined to the parts, 
and in six hours after, the sac discharged its contents, and 
with it a piece of splinter two inches in length. The pain 
immediately ceased, and the animal is now free from lame- 
ness. We here see the design of nature : the consequent 
inflammation was to produce suppuration, and make an outlet 
for the splinter. 

Professor Kost says, " The laws of all organic life are re- 
markably peculiar ; they possess, in an eminent degree, the 
power of self-regulation. When interrupted, disease, indeed, 
supervenes; but unless the circumstances are particularly un- 
favorable, the physiological state will soon be restored. All 
observation most clearly corroborates this fact. The healing 
of wounds, restoration of fractured bones, expulsion of ob- 
truded substances, and particularly the manner in which 
extravasated matter or pus is removed from internal organs, 
as in case of abscess in the liver, in which exit may be gained 
by ulceration through the parietes, or by an adhesion to and 
ulceration into the intestines, or even by the adhesions to the 
diaphragm and lungs, in such a manner as, by ulceration into 
the bronchia, a passage may be gained, and the pus thus re- 
moved by expectoration, — all evince a most singular con- 



EFFORTS OF NATURE TO REMOVE DISEASE. 69 

servative power. What is most remarkable in cases like the 
latter, is, that the adhesions are so formed as to prevent the 
escape of the pus into the peritoneal sac. which accident must 
inevitably prove fatal. 

" Some very interesting experiments have been performed 
to test the restorative power of the different tissues of the 
animal body. If a portion of the intestines of a dog be taken 
out, and tied, so as to obstruct completely the passage, it will 
be found that the adjacent portions of the intestine will reunite, 
the ligature will separate into the canal and be discharged, 
and the gut will heal up so as to preserve its normal continuity, 
and the animal, in a fortnight, will have recovered entirely 
from the effects of this fearful operation. 

" When noxious or poisonous substances are thrown into 
any of the cavities of the body from which their escape is im- 
practicable, a cyst will often form around them, and they thus 
become isolated from absorption and the circulation, so as to 
prevent their doing harm. 

" The less remarkable instances of this character are of 
more common occurrence ; and the self-regulating power of 
the laws of life, alias vis vonservatrix natures, is so universally 
known and depended on, that it is rare, indeed, that indis- 
posed persons take medicine, until they have first waited at 
least a little, to see what nature would do for them ; and they 
are seldom disappointed, as it may perhaps be safely asserted, 
that nine tenths of all the attacks of disease (taking the slight 
indispositions ; for such are most of them, as they are checked 
before they become severe) are warded off by the vital force, 
unassisted. Such, then, are the facts deduced from observing 
the operations of nature in disease unassisted." 

Dr. Beach says, " We are well aware, from what passes in 
the system daily, that the Author of nature has wisely pro- 
vided a principle which is calculated to remove disease. It 
is very observable in fevers. No sooner is noxious or morbid 
matter retained in the system, than there is an increased ac- 
tion of the heart and arteries, to eliminate the existing cause 
from the skin ; or it may pass off by other outlets established 



70 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

for that purpose. With what propriety, then, can this pro- 
vision of nature be denied, as it is by some ? A noted pro- 
fessor in Philadelphia or Baltimore ridicules this power in the 
constitution ; he says to his class, l Kick nature out of doors.' 
It was this man, or a brother professor, who exclaimed to his 
class, ' Give me mercury in one hand and the lancet in the 
other, and I am prepared to cope with disease in every shape 
and form.' I have not time to stop here, and comment upon 
such palpable and dangerous doctrine. I have only to say, 
let the medical historian record this sentiment, maintained 
in the highest medical universities in America in the nine- 
teenth century. I am pleased, however, to observe, that all 
physicians do not coincide with such views." 



PROVERBS OF THE VETERINARY REFORMERS. 

The merciful man is merciful to his domestic animals. 

"Avoid blood-letting and poisons, for they are powerful 
depressors of the vital energies. There are two medical ful- 
cra — reason and experience. Experience precedes, reason 
follows ; hence, reasoning not founded on experience avails 
nothing. He who cures by simples need not seek for com- 
pounds." — Villanov. 

" The physician destitute of a knowledge of plants can 
never properly judge of the power of a plant." — Whitlaw. 

" The vegetable kingdom is the most noble in medicines." 
— Ibid. 

Innocent medicines, which approach as near to food as pos- 
sible, preserve health, while chemical compounds destroy it. 
Heroic medicines (such are antimony, copper, corrosive sub- 
limate, lead, opium, hellebore, arsenic, belladonna) are like the 
sword in the hands of a madman. 

"Nature unassisted by art sometimes effects miracles." — ■ 
Whitlaw. 



PROVERBS OF VETERINARY REFORMERS. 71 

" It is the part of a wise physician to decline prescribing in 
a lost case." — Ibid. Whenever there is free, full circulation 
of blood, there is animal heat. If the heat of a part becomes 
deficient, the circulation is correspondingly diminished. As 
soon as voluntary motion in a part ceases, so soon the circu- 
lation becomes enfeebled ; and if continued, the part will 
wither and waste away. 

The strength and health of an animal depend on a due 
share of exercise, pure air, and suitable food. Deprive an 
animal of these, and he will cease to exist. We believe in 
the great doctrine that the duty of the physician is to aid 
nature in protecting herself in the enjoyment of health, by 
proper attention to breeding, rearing, ventilation, and proper 
farm and stable management. 

" The tinsel glitter of fine-spun theory, or favorite hypothe- 
sis, which prevails wherever allopathy hath been taught, so 
dazzles, flatters, and charms human vanity and folly, that, so 
far from contributing to the certain and speedy cure of dis- 
eases, it hath, in every age, proved the bane and disgrace of 
the healing art."^ — Graham, p. 15. 

" Those physicians generally become the most distinguished 
who soonest emancipate themselves from the tyranny of the 
schools of physic." — Rush. 

" Availing ourselves of the privileges we possess, and ani- 
mated by the noblest impulses, let us cordially cooperate to 
give to medicine a new direction, and attempt those great 
improvements which it imperiously demands." — Ther., vol. i. 
p. 51. 

" It has been proved by allopathists themselves, that ' a phy- 
sician should be nature's servant ; ' that i bleeding tends di- 
rectly to subdue nature's efforts ; ' that ' all poisons suddenly 
and rapidly destroy a great proportion of the vitality of the 
system ; ' that whatever be the quantity, use, or manner of 
application, all the influence they inherently possess is inju- 
rious, and that they are not fatal in every instance of their 
use only because nature overpowers them." — Curtis. 



72 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



AN INQUIRY CONCERNING THE SOULS OF BRUTES. 

" Are these then made in vain ? Is man alone, 
Of all the marvels of creative love, 
Blest with a scintillation of His essence — 
The heavenly spark of reasonable soul? 
And hath not yon sagacious dog, that finds 
A meaning in the shepherd's idiot face ; 
Or the huge elephant, that lends his strength 
To drag the stranded galley to the shore, 
And strives with emulative pride t' excel 
The mindless crowd of slaves that toil beside him ; 
Or the young generous war-horse, when he sniffs 
The distant field of blood, and quick and shrill 
Neighing for joy, instils a desperate courage 
Into the veteran trooper's quailing heart, — 
Have they not all an evidence of soul, 
(Of soul, the proper attribute of man,) 
The same in kind, though meaner in degree ? 
Why should not that which hath been — be forever? 
And death, O, can it be annihilation ? 
No, — though the stolid atheist fondly clings 
To that last hope, how kindred to despair ! 
No, — 'tis the struggling spirit's hour of joy, 
The glad emancipation of the soul, 
The moment when the cumbrous fetters drop, 
And the bright spirit wings its way to heaven ! 

" To say that God annihilated aught, 
Were to declare that in an unwise hour 
He planned and made somewhat superfluous. 
Why should not the mysterious life that dwells 
In reptiles as in man, and shows itself 
In memory, gratitude, love, hate, and pride, 
Still energize, and be, though death may crush 
Yon frugal ant or thoughtless butterfly, 
Or, with the simoom's pestilential gale 
Strike down the patient camel in the desert ? 

"There is one chain of intellectual soul, 



AN INQUIRY CONCERNING THE SOULS OF BRUTES. 73 

In many links and various grades, throughout 
The scale of nature ; from the climax bright, 
The first great Cause of all, Spirit supreme, 
Incomprehensible, and unconfined, 
To high archangels blazing near the throne, 
Seraphim, cherubim, virtues, aids, and powers, 
All capable of perfection in their kind ; — 
To man, as holy from his Maker's hand 
He stood in possible excellence complete, 
(Man, who is destined now to brighter glories, — 
As nearer to the present God, in One 
His Lord and Substitute, — than angels reach ; ) 
Then man has fallen, with every varied shade 
Of character and capability, 
From him who reads his title to the skies, 
Or grasps, with giant-mind, all nature's wonders, 
Down to the monster-shaped, inhuman form, 
Murderer, slavering fool, or blood-stained savage ; 
Then to the prudent elephant, the dog 
Half-humanized, the docile Arab horse, 
The social beaver, and contriving fox, 
The parrot, quick in pertinent reply, 
The kind-affectioned seal, and patriot bee, 
The merchant-storing ant, and wintering swallow, 
With all those other palpable emanations 
And energies of one Eternal Mind 
Pervading and instructing all that live, 
Down to the sentient grass and shrinking clay. 
In truth, I see not why the breath of life, 
Thus omnipresent, and upholding all, 
Should not return to Him and be immortal, 
(I dare not say the same,) in some glad state 
Originally destined for creation, 
As well from brutish bodies, as from man. 
The uncertain glimmer of analogy 
Suggests the thought, and reason's shrewder guess; 
Yet revelation whispers nought but this, — 
' Our Father careth when a sparrow dies,' 
And that ' the spirit of a brute descends,' 
As to some secret and preserving Hades. 
10 



74 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

" But for some better life, in what strange sort 
Were justice, mixed with mercy, dealt to these ? 
Innocent slaves of sordid, guilty man, 
Poor unthanked drudges, toiling to his will, 
Pampered in youth, and haply starved in age, 
Obedient, faithful, gentle, though the spur, 
Wantonly cruel, or unsparing thong, 
Weal your galled hides, or your strained sinews crack 
Beneath the crushing load, — what recompense 
Can He who gave you being render you, 
If in the rank, full harvest of your griefs 
Ye sink annihilated, to the shame 
Of government unequal ? — In that day 
When crime is sentenced, shall the cruel heart 
Boast uncondemned, because no tortured brute 
Stands there accusing ? Shall the embodied deeds 
Of man not follow him, nor the rescued fly 
Bear its kind witness to the saving hand ? 
Shall the mild Brahmin stand in equal sin 
Regarding nature's menials, with the wretch 
Who flays the moaning Abyssinian ox, 
Or roasts the living bird, or flogs to death 
The famishing pointer ? — and must these again, 
These poor, unguilty, uncomplaining victims, 
Have no reward for life with its sharp pains ? — 
They have my suffrage : Nineveh was spared, 
Though Jonah prophesied its doom, for sake 
Of sixscore thousand infants, and 'much cattle ;' 
And space is wide enough for every grain 
Of the broad sands that curb our swelling seas, 
Each separate in its sphere to stand apart 
As far as sun from sun; there lacks not room, 
Nor time, nor care, where all is infinite." — Tupper. 



THE REFORMED PRACTICE. 75 



THE REFORMED PRACTICE. 

SYNOPTICAL VIEW OF THE PROMINENT SYSTEMS OF 
MEDICINE. 

Some of our readers, especially the non-medical, may desire 
to know what the following remarks, which appear to apply 
generally to the human family, have to do with cattle doctor- 
ing. We answer them in the language of Professor Percival. 
" The object of the veterinary art is not only congenial with 
human medicine, but the very same paths which lead to a 
knowledge of the diseases of man, lead also to a knowledge 
of those of brutes. An accurate examination of the interior 
parts of their bodies ; a studious survey of the arrangement, 
structure, use, connection, and relation of these parts, and of 
the laws by which they act ; as also of the nature and prop- 
erties of the various food and other agents which the earth so 
liberally provides for their support and cure, — these form, in 
a great measure, the sound and sure foundation of all medical 
science, whatever living individual animal be the subject of 
our consideration. Whether we prescribe for a man, horse, 
dog, or cat, the laws of the animal economy are the same ; 
and one system, and that based upon established facts, is to 
guide our practice in alL 

" The theory of medicine in the human subject is the the- 
ory of medicine in the brute ; it is the application of that 
theory — the practice alone — that is different. 

" We might as well, in reference to the principles of each, 
attempt to separate surgery from medicine, as insist that either 
of these arts, in theory, is essentially different from the veter- 
inary : every day's experience serves to confirm this our be- 
lief, and in showing us how often the diseases of animals 
arise from the same causes as those of a man, exhibit the 
same indications, and require a similar method of cure. 

" The science of medicine, like others, consists of a col- 
lection of facts of a common and not a specific character. 



76 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

These, therefore, admit of arrangement into different systems, 
according to the notions of theorists, and the various species 
of philosophy, brought to bear on the subject. 

" The first regular system was founded by Hippocrates, 
about three hundred and eighty years before Christ. It was 
founded upon theory, and comprised the doctrines of the an- 
cient dogmatic school. Its pathology rested upon a supposed 
change of the humors of the body, particularly the blood and 
bile ; and here are the first elements of the i humoral pathol- 
ogy.' 1 Its remedial intentions were founded upon the exist- 
ence of the ' vis conservatrix^ et i medicatrix natarce;'' and, 
although often maintaining direct antipathic principles of ac- 
tion, it rested mainly on physo-dynamic influence for the 
accomplishment of its therapeutic purposes. 

" About two hundred and ninety years before Christ, Phi- 
linus of Cos introduced the ancient Empiric System, which 
was founded upon experience and observation. About one 
hundred years before the Christian era, the Methodic System 
was introduced by Ascle«piades of Bithynia. This system 
was got up with an avowed opposition to that of Hippocrates, 
which was called ' a study of death.' Themison of Laodicea, 
pupil of Asclepiades, gives an exposition of the fundamental 
principles of the methodic system ; and it seems that all phys- 
iological and pathological action was considered to be depend- 
ent upon the strictum and laxum of the organic pores, or 
increased and decreased secretion, and that all medicines act 
only on two principles, i. e., by inducing contraction and 
relaxation, or an increase and decrease of the secretions. 

" It would seem that, in the first century of the Christian 
era, the methodic system was divided into various subordinate 
ones — the Pneumatic, Episynthetic, and Eclectic. The 
pneumatic system, which was the most popular of the frag- 
ments of the methodic, was most indebted to Athenseus of 
Attalia for its successful introduction. This system contem- 
plated the doctrine of the Stoics, which recognized the exist- 
ence of a spirit governing and directing every thing, and 
which, when offended, would produce disease ; hence the 



VIEW OF THE PROMINENT SYSTEMS OF MEDICINE. 77 

name pneumatic. The indications of cure were more moral 
than physical. Fire, air, water, &c, were not considered 
elements, but their properties — heat, cold, dryness, moisture, 
&c. — were alone entitled to the name. 

" In the second century, the Galenic System was founded 
by Claudius Galenus. This might, indeed, only be consid- 
ered the revival of the dogmatic or Hippocratean system. 
Galen professed to have selected what he found valuable from 
all the prevailing systems, and has embraced the elements and 
ruling spirit of the pneumatic school. Thus he explained 
the operation of medicines by reference to their elementary 
qualities, — that is, heat, cold, dryness, and moisture, — of 
each of which he admitted four degrees. But he was gov- 
erned by a prevailing partiality for the system of Hippocrates, 
which, he states, was either misunderstood or misrepresented 
by all theorists, ever since the establishment of the empiric 
and methodic schools. He devoted most of his time to com- 
menting upon and embellishing it, and thus again established 
a system, founded on reason, observation, and sound induc- 
tion, which maintained its character, without a rival, for more 
than one thousand five hundred years. 

"Near the middle of the sixteenth century, Paracelsus in- 
troduced the Chemical System. This was strongly opposed 
by Bellonius and Riverius, who maintained the doctrine of 
Hippocrates and Galen. But the presumptuous Paracelsus 
burned, ' in solemn state,' the works of the ancients ; and 
being succeeded by the indefatigable Van Helmont, the whole 
science of medicine was overwhelmed by the mysticism of 
the alchemical doctrines and languages. The chemical the- 
ory, in the main, rejects the influence, or even the existence, 
of the vis medicatrix natural, and explains all physiological, 
pathological, and therapeutic operations upon abstract chem- 
ical laws. Thus chemical or inorganic agents, and many of 
the most virulent poisons, as arsenic, mercury, antimony, &c, 
were placed among the most prominent remedies. 

" Soon after the introduction of the chemical system, med- 
ical science, if we make one exception, became less eccentric, 



78 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

but much less marked for the permanency of its systems. 
Boerhaave ingeniously blended most of the prominent doc- 
trines of the Galenic and chemical systems ; and by an appli- 
cation of several of the newly-developed natural sciences, 
especially mathematics and natural philosophy, he led his suc- 
cessors into a more even path and fixed method of investiga- 
tion ; for no more do we find any abstract physical laws the 
sole basis of a system. But these were the highest honors 
allowed Boerhaave ; his particular system was soon subverted 
by Stahl, who proved the supreme superintendence of an im- 
material, vital principle, corresponding to that pointed out by 
Hippocrates. To this he ascribes intelligence, if not moral 
attributes. Hoffman led Cullen into the path that brought 
him into the fruitful field of the nervous pathology and sol- 
idism, which, with a modification of Stahl's ruling immate- 
rial essence, formed the groundwork of his admired system. 

"If, now, we except the eccentricities of Brown, compris- 
ing his system, founded on the sthenic and asthenic diathesis, 
we find little interruption to the general prevalence of the 
Cullenian system, till nearly the present juncture. The suc- 
ceeding authors, colleges, and medical societies have only 
modified and amplified the general theory, and regulated 
the practice into a comparative uniformity, which now con- 
stitutes the popular Allopathic Systein. But notwithstanding 
the comparatively settled state of medical science, it could 
not be supposed that in this remarkable age of improvement, 
while all other liberal sciences and arts are progressing as if 
prosecuted by superhuman agency, medicine should fail to 
undergo corresponding improvement. 

" Several new systems of medicine date themselves within 
the last forty years, viz. : 1. The Homoeopathic, introduced 
by Hahnemann, and founded upon the principle, similia simil- 
ibus curantur. 2. The Botanic, established by a new class 
of medical philosophers, within the last twenty years. 3. 
The Eclectic, corresponding, in its essential doctrines, with 
the ancient eclectic system." 



CREED OF THE REFORMERS. 79 



CREED OF THE REFORMERS. 

We believe that a perfect system of medical science is that 
which never allows disease to exist at all ; which prevents 
disease, instead of curing it, by means of a perfect hygienic 
system, proper modes of life, attention to diet, ventilation, 
and exercise. 

We believe that the next best system is that which, after 
disease has made its appearance, promptly meets its develop- 
ment by the use of such agencies as are perfectly in harmony 
with the laws of life and health, and physiological in their 
action ; such, for example, as water, air, heat and cold, fric- 
tion, food, drink, and medicines that are not usually regarded 
as poisons, and are known to prove congenial to the animal 
constitution. 

We have no attachment to any remedy which experience 
shows unsafe ; but, on the contrary, we rejoice in the success 
of every attempt to substitute sanative for disease-creating 
agents, and believe that a number of the articles which are 
still occasionally used in the old school, will in time be- 
come obsolete, as medical science progresses. 

We hold that our opposition to any course of medical 
treatment should be in proportion to the mischief it produces, 
entirely irrespective of medical theories. Hence our hostility 
to the lancet. 

We do not profess to know more about anatomy, physiolo- 
gy, surgery, &c, than our allopathic brethren; but the supe- 
riority which our system claims over others is, in the main, 
to be found in our therapeutic agents, all of which are harm- 
less, safe, and efficient. While they arouse the energies of 
nature to resist the ravages of disease, they act harmoniously 
with the vital principle, in the restoration of the system from 
a pathological to the physiological state. 



80 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



TRUE PRINCIPLES. 

" Our objection to the old school,*" says Professor Curtis, 
"has ever been, that they not only have no true principles to 
guide their practice, but they have adopted, fixed, and obsti- 
nately adhered to principles the very reverse of the true. 
They have resolved that, in disease, nature turns a somerset 
— reverses all her normal laws, and requires them to do the 
same. They have decreed that the best means and processes 
to cure the sick are those which will most speedily kill them 
when in health. In the face of all reason and common 
sense, they have adhered to this doctrine and practice for 
the last three centuries, and they have been constrained to 
confess that the destruction they have produced on human 
life and health has far exceeded all that has been effected by 
the sword, pestilence, and famine. Still they obstinately 
persevere. They say their science is progressive — improv- 
ing ; yet its progression consists in contriving new ways and 
means to take part of the life's blood, and poison all the 
balance. 

"Medicine, being based on the laws of nature, is in itself 
an exact science ; and every process of the act should be 
directed by those laws. 

" Medicine is a demonstrative science, and all its processes 
should be based on fixed laws, and be governed by positive 
inductions. Then, and not till then, will it deserve to be 
ranked among the exact sciences, and contemplated as a lib- 
eral art. 

" Truth is stationary ; it never progresses. What was true 
in principle in the days of Adam is so still. To talk of 
progress in principle is ridiculous. Neither does a given prac- 
tice progress. That which was ever intrinsically good is so 
still. To talk, then, of the progress in principles of medicine 
is absurd. We may learn the truth or error of principles, and 
the comparative value or worthlessness of practices ; but the 
principles are still the same. This is our progress in knowl- 



TJIUE PRINCIPLES. 81 

edge, not the progress of science or art. The constant 
changes that have taken place in the adoption and rejection 
of various principles and practices have ever been an injury 
to the healing art. Both truth and falsehood, separately 
and combined, have been alternately received and rejected ; 
and this is that progress which is made in a circle, and not in 
lines direct. The fault of the cultivators of medicine has 
been, not that they never discovered the truth nor adopted 
the right practice, but that they adopted wrong principles and 
practices as often as the right, and rejected the right as readily 
as the wrong. They have ever been ready to prove many, 
if not all things ; but to cast off the bad and hold fast to the 
good, they seem to have had but little discrimination and 
power. They say truly, that the object of the healing art is 
to aid nature in the prevention and cure of her diseases ; yet, 
in practice, they do violence to nature in the use of the lancet 
and poison." 

We are told by the professors of allopathy that their med- 
icines constitute a class of deadly poisons, (see " Pocket Phar 
macopceia • ") "that, when given with a scientific hand, in 
small doses, they cure disease." We deny their power to 
cure. If antimony, corrosive sublimate, &c, ever proved 
destructive, they always possess that power, and can never be 
used with any degree of assurance that they will make a sick 
animal well. On the other hand, we have abundant every- 
day evidence of their ability to make a well animal sick at 
any time. What difference does it make whether poisons are 
given with a scientific or an unscientific hand ? Does it alter 
the tendency which all poisons possess, namely, that of rapidly 
depriving the system of vitality ? 

The veterinary science was ushered into existence by men 
who practised according to the doctrines of the theoretical 
schools. We may trace it in its infancy when, in England, 
in the year 1788, it was rocked in the cradle of allopathy by 
Sainbel, its texture varying to suit the skill of Clark, Law- 
rence, Field, Blaine, and Coleman ; yet with all their amount 
of talent and wisdom, their pupils must acknowledge that 
11 



82 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

the melancholy triumph of disease over its victims clearly 
evinces that their combined stock of knowledge is insufficient 
to perfect the veterinary science. Dr. J. Bell says, " Anato- 
my is the basis of medical skill ; " yet, in another part of his 
work he says, " It enables the physician to guess at the seat, 
or causes, or consequences of disease!" This is what we 
propose hereafter to call the science — the science of guess- 
ing ! If such is the immense mortality in England, (amount- 
ing, as Mr. Youatt states, in loss of cattle, alone, to $50,000,- 
000.) — a country that boasts of her veterinary institutions, 
and embraces within her medical halo some of the brightest 
luminaries of the present century, — what, we ask, is the 
mortality in the United States, where the veterinary science 
scarcely has an existence, and where not one man in a hun- 
dred can tell a disease of the bowels from one of the lungs ? 
Profiting by the experience of these men, we are in hopes to 
build up a system of practice that will stand a tower of 
strength amid the rude shock of medical theories. We have 
discovered that the lancet is a powerful depressor of vitality, 
and that poisons derange, instead of producing, healthy action. 
That they are generally resorted to in this country, no one 
will deny, and often by men who are unacquainted with the 
nature of the destructive agents they are making use of. 

Hence our business, as reformers, is to expose error, and 
disseminate true principles. In doing so, we must be guided 
by the light of reason, and interpret aright the doctrines of 
nature as they are written by the Creator on the tablets of the 
whole universe, animate and inanimate. 

In our reformed practice, we have true principles to guide 
us, which no man can controvert ; for they are based on the 
recognition of a curative power in nature, identical with the 
vital principle, and governed by the same laws that control its 
action in the healthy state. While, therefore, this system 
must not change, it may improve ; and while it remains on 
the same foundation, it should progress. 

The necessity of aiding nature, in all our modes of medi- 
cation, is the only true principle which should guide us. 



TRUE PRINCIPLES. 83 

This we do by the aid of medicines known to be harmless, 
at the same time paying proper attention to diet, ventilation, 
exercise, &c, rejecting all processes of cure that depress the 
vital energy, or destroy the equilibrium of its action. 

Our reformed principles teach us that, " Fever is the same 
in its essential character, under all circumstances and forms 
which ' it exhibits. The different kinds, as they are called, 
are but varieties of the same condition, produced by varia- 
tions in the prevailing cause, or the strength of vital resist- 
ance, or some other peculiarity of the patient. Facts in abun- 
dance might be stated to justify this position. Again, fever 
is not to be regarded as disease, but as a sanative effort ; in 
other words, as an increased or excited state of vital action, 
whose tendency is to remove from the system any agents or 
causes that would effect its integrity. Or, perhaps, it might 
be more properly said, that fever is the effect, or symptom, of 
accumulated vital action — an index pointing to the progress 
of causes, operating to ward off disease and restore health. 

" Our indications of cure and modes of treatment are to be 
learned from those manifestations of the vital operations uni- 
formly witnessed in the febrile state. If fever marks the action 
of the healing power of nature, which we must copy to be 
successful, why should we not consult the febrile phenomena 
for our rule of action ? Now, what are the indications of cure 
which we derive from this source ? In other words, what are 
the results which nature designs to accomplish through the 
instrumentality of fever ? They are, an equilibrium of the 
circulation, a properly-proportioned action of all the organs, 
and an increased depuration of the system, principally by cu- 
taneous evacuations." 

Suppose the resistance of some local obstruction, as, for ex- 
ample, an accumulation of partly digested food in the many- 
plus of the ox, and, for want of a due portion of the gastric 
fluids to soften the mass and prevent friction, it irritates the 
mucous covering of the lamina?. The result is inflammation, 
(local fever,) then general excitement, manifested in an in- 
creased state of the circulation generally. The consequences 



84 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

of this general excitement of the mass of the circulation are, a 
more equal distribution of the blood, and the stimulation of 
every organ to do a part, according to its capacity, in remov- 
ing disease. In such cases, the cattle doctors, generally, sup- 
pose that the inflammation is confined to the part, (manyplus :) 
yet it is evident that nature has marshalled her forces and 
produced a like action on the external surface. How can we 
prove that this is the case ? By the heat, and red surfaces of 
the membrane lining the nostril, by the accelerated pulse, 
thirst, &c. Without heat there is no vitality in the system. 
Now, if the surface be hot, it proves that a large quantity of 
blood is sent there for the purpose of relieving the deranged 
internal organ. Hence the reader will perceive, that the cat- 
tle doctor whose creed is, " The more fever, the more blood- 
letting," must be one of the greatest opponents nature has to 
deal with. Then it is no wonder that so many cattle, sheep, 
and oxen die of fever. The practice of purging, in such a 
case, would be almost as destructive as the former ; for many 
articles used as purges act on the mucous surfaces of the ali- 
mentary canal as mechanical irritants. Nature would, in this 
case, have to recall her forces from the surface, and concen- 
trate them in the vicinity of parts where they were not wanted, 
had not man's interference conflicted with her well-planned 
arrangement, and made her " turn a somerset." When the 
increased action and heat are manifested on the surface, does 
it not prove that the different organs are acting harmoniously 
in self-defence ? And is not this action manifested through 
the same channels in a state of health ? Then why call it 
disease ? 

If obstructions exist as the cause of fever, will the mode of 
evacuation be different from that of health ? Certainly not. 
Hence the marked tendency of fever to evacuation by the 
skin or the bowels ; the former by perspiration, and the latter 
by diarrhoea. Fever, then, is a vital action, and the reformers 
have correct principles. On the other hand, the allopathists 
tell us that they know very little about fever, but that it is 
disease, and they treat it as such ; hence, then, five, ten, and 
fourteen days' fever, and often the death of the patient. 



TRUE PRINCIPLES. 85 

Our treatment is not directed with a view of combating the 
fever: we generally aid it by following the indications which 
it presents : and we often find it necessary, although the sur- 
face of the animal shall be hot, and feverish symptoms ap- 
pear, to use stimulants, (not alcoholic.) combined with anti- 
spasmodics and relaxents. (See Stimulants, in the Appendix.) 
This class of medicines, aided by warmth and moisture, favors 
the cutaneous exhalation, and promotes the free and full play 
of all the functions. 

That the allopathist has but few principles to guide him is 
evident from the following quotations : — 

Veterinary surgeon Haycock says, " The profession may 
flatter itself that it is advancing : for my part, however, I see 
little or no advancement. Our labors, for the last ten years, 
have been little more than a repetition of what has gone be- 
fore. Our books are things of shreds and patches ; the sys- 
tem which is followed in the investigation of disease, in the 
treatment of disease, and in the reporting of it, is altogether 
so crude and barbarous, that I am thoroughly ashamed of the 
whole matter. 

" I have heard much noise about a charter, [which, we 
presume, means a charter by which men may be licensed to 
kill secundum artem, and ' no questions asked,'] the clamor 
of which may be compared to the rattling of peas in a dried 
bladder, or to a storm in" a horse-pond. I have also read much 
which has been said about the spirit of this charter. Until I 
am convinced that it is the best term which can be applied 
to it, verily the whole is a spirit ; for no one, I am persuaded, 
has ever yet discovered the substance.* It is not charters that 

* Mr. White says, "According to the present system of teaching in these 
chartered institutions, there is very little benefit to be derived by the stu- 
dent." 

Mr. Blane experienced in his own person the results of this imperfect sys- 
tem of teaching. He was sent for to fire a valuable horse, and gives the 
following account of it: "It was my first essay in firing on my own account, 
a.ndjired as I was with my wishes to signalize myself, I labored to enter my 
novitiate with all due honor. The farrier of the village was ordered to at- 
tend, a sturdy old man, civil enough, but looking as though impressed with 



86 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

we want, but it is that quiet spirit of earnestness which 
characterizes the true labour on science. We require men 
who will labor for the advancement of the profession from the 
pure love of the thing ; we want, in fact, a few John Fields, 
or men who know how to work, and who are possessed of the 
will to do it." 

We hear a great deal said about sending young men from 
this country to Europe to acquire the principles of the veter- 
inary art, with a view to public teaching. Now, it appears 
to us that the United States can boast of as great a number 
of talented physicians, as well qualified to soon learn and 
understand the fundamental principles of the veterinary art, 
as their brethren of the old world. There is no country, 
probably, that can boast of such an amount of talent, in every 

no very high respect for a gentleman farrier's knowledge. The horse was 
cast, awkwardly enough, and secured, as will appear, even more so. I, how- 
ever, proceeded to show the superiority of the new over the old schools. I had 
just then left the veterinary college, not as a pupil, but as a teacher, which 
I only mention to mark the climax. On the very first application of the iron, 
up started my patient, flinging me and my assistants in all directions from 
him, while he trotted and snorted round the yard with rope, &c. at his heels. 
As may be supposed, I was taken aback, and might have gone back as I 
came, had not the old farrier, with much good humor, caught the horse round 
the neck with his arms, and by some dexterous manoeuvre brought him on 
his knees ; when, with a jerk, as quick as unexpected, he threw him at once 
on his side, when our immediate assistants fixed him, and we proceeded. 
It is needless to remark that I retired mortified, and left the village farrier 
lord of the ascendant." 

" It cannot be doubted that the best operators in this case are always the 
common country farriers, who, from devoting themselves entirely to the oc- 
cupation, soon become proficients." 

This admission on the part of a regular graduate of a veterinary institu- 
tion of London shows that the veterinary science, as taught at the present 
day, is a matter for reproach. The melancholy triumph of disease over its 
victims shows that the science is mere moonshine; that, in regard to its 
most important object, the cure of disease, it is mere speculation, rich in the- 
ory, but poverty-stricken in its results. Hence we have not only proof that 
the American people will be immense gainers by availing themselves of the 
labors of reforms, but, as interested individuals, they have great encourage- 
ment to favor our more rational system of treatment. (For additional re- 
marks on this subject, see the author's work on the Horse, p. 105.) 



TRUE PRINCIPLES. 8/ 

department of literature and art, in proportion to the popula- 
tion, as the United States. We know that the veterinary art, 
with one exception, had its existence from human practition- 
ers, received their fostering care and attention, and grew with 
their growth. Have we not the materials, then, in this coun- 
try, to educate and qualify young men to practise this impor- 
tant branch of science ? Most certainly. Just send a few to 
us, for example, and if we do not impart to them a better sys- 
tem of medication than that practised in Europe, by which 
they will be enabled to treat disease with more success and 
less deaths, then we will agree to M throw physic to the dogs," 
and abandon our profession. 

The greatest part of the most valuable time of the students 
of veterinary medicine is devoted to the study of pathology, 
in such a manner as to afford little instruction. For example, 
we are told that in " Bright's " disease of the kidneys they 
have detected albumen. What does this amount to ? Does 
it throw any rational light on the treatment other than that 
proposed by us, of toning up the animal, and restoring the 
healthy secretions ? They have studied pathology to their 
hearts' content ; yet any intelligent farmer in this country, 
with a few simple herbs, can beat them at curing disease. We 
would give details, were it necessary. Suffice it to say, that 
it is done here every day, and often through the aid of a little 
thoroughwort tea, or other harmless agent. The pathologist 
may discover alterations in tissues, in the blood, and the va- 
rious organs, and tell us that herein lie the cause and seat of 
disease ; yet these changes themselves are but results, and pre- 
ceding these were other manifestations of disorder ; therefore 
pathology must always be imperfect, because it is a science of 
consequences. 

The most powerful microscopes have been used to discover 
the seat of disease ; yet this has not taught us to cure one 
single disease hitherto incurable. 

The old school boast that their whole system of blood- 
letting, purging, and poisoning is based on enlightened expe- 
rience ! yet their victims have often discovered, by dear-bought 



88 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

" experience," {many of whom are now doing penance with 
tdcerated gums, rotten teeth, and foetid breath,) that, however 
valuable this "experience" may be to the M. D.'s, they, the 
recipients, have not derived that benefit which they were led 
to expect would accrue to them. From what has already 
been written in this work, the reader, provided he divests 
himself of all prejudice, will perceive that allopathic experi- 
ence is not to be trusted, for their principles are false ; hence 
their experience is also false. Professor Curtis, to whom we 
are indebted for much valuable information, says, "Do not 
the old school argue that the most destructive agents in nature 
may be made to l aid the vital forces in the removal of dis- 
ease by the judicious application of them ! ? Does not Pro- 
fessor Harrison say, that the lancet is the great anti-inflam- 
matory agent of the materia medica, that, opium is the mag- 
num Dei donum (the great gift of God) for the relief of pain, 
and that mercury is the great regulator of all the secretions ? " 
Anatomy and physiology are now being taught in our pub- 
lic schools. The people will, ere long, constitute themselves 
umpires to decide when doctors disagree. We apprehend it 
will then be hard work to convince the intelligent and think- 
ing part of the community that poisons and the lancet are 
sanative agents. 



INFLAMMATION. 



Inflammation has generally been considered the great bug- 
bear of the old school, and the scarecrow of the cattle doctor. 
But what do they know about it ? Let us see. 

Dr. Thatcher says, " Numerous hypotheses or opinions re- 
specting the true nature and cause of inflammation have for 
ages been advanced, and for a time sustained ; but even at 
the present day, the various doctrines appear to be considered 
altogether problematical." 



INFLAMMATION. 89 

Professor Percival says, " Inflammation consists in an in- 
creased action of the arteries, and may be either healthy or 
unhealthy * — a distinction that appears to relate to some pe- 
culiarity of the constitution." 

We find inflammation described by most old school au- 
thors as disease, and they treat it as such. Professor Payne 
says, " A great majority of all the disorders to which the hu- 
man frame is liable begin with inflammation, or end in in- 
flammation, or are accompanied by inflammation in some part 
of their course, or resemble inflammation in their symptoms. 
Most of the organic changes in different parts of the body 
recognize inflammation as their cause, or lead to it as their 
effect. In short, a very large share of the premature extinc- 
tions of human life in general is more or less attributable to 
inflammation." 

The term inflammation has long been employed by medi- 
cal men to denote the existence of an unusual degree of red- 
ness, pain, heat, and swelling in any of the textures or organs 
of which the body is composed. Professor Curtis says, " But 
as inflammation sometimes exists without the exhibition of 
any of these symptoms, authors have been obliged to describe 
it by its causes, in attendant symptoms, and its effects. It 
is not more strange than true, that, after studying this subject 
for, as they say, four thousand years, experimenting on it and 
with it, and defining it f the sum of all their knowledge and 
definitions is this — inflammation in the animal frame is either 
a simple or compound action, increased or diminished, or a 
cessation of all action ; it either causes, or is caused, or is ac- 
companied, by all the forms of disease to which the body is 
subject ; it is the only agent of cure in every case in which 
a cure is effected ; it destroys all that die, except by accident 
or old age ; it is both disease itself, and the only antidote to 
disease ; it is the pathological principle which lies at the base 

# Inflammation is a vital action, and cannot be properly termed diseased 
action. The only action that can be properly termed diseased is the chemi- 
cal action. 

12 



90 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

of all others j it is that which the profession least of all under- 
stand." 

Who believes, then, that the science of medicine is based 
on a sure foundation ? 

The following selections from the allopathic works will 
prove what is above stated. 

" Pure inflammation is rather an effort of nature than a dis- 
ease ; yet it always implies disease or disturbance, inasmuch 
as there must be a previous morbid or disturbed state to make 
such an effort necessary." — Hunter, vol. iv. pp. 293, 294. 

" As inflammation is an action produced for the restoration 
of the most simple injury in sound parts which goes beyond 
the power of union by the first intention, we must look upon 
it as one of the most simple operations in nature, whatever it 
may be when arising from disease, or diseased parts. Inflam- 
mation is to be considered only a disturbed state of parts, 
which requires a new but salutary mode of action to restore 
them to that state wherein a natural mode of action alone is 
necessary. Therefore inflammation in itself is not to be con- 
sidered a disease, but a salutary operation consequent either 
to some violence or to some disease." — Ibid. vol. iv. p. 285. 

" A wound or bruise cannot recover itself but by inflam- 
mation." — Ibid. p. 286. 

" Prom whatever cause inflammation arises, it appears to 
be nearly the same in all ; for in all it is an effort intended to 
bring about a reinstatement of the parts to their natural func- 
tion."— Ibid. p. 286. 

Results of Inflammation. — " Inflammation is said to ter- 
minate in resolution, effusion, adhesion, suppuration, ulcera- 
tion, granulation, cicatrization, and mortification. All these 
different terminations, except the last, may be regarded as so 
many vital processes, exerted in different parts of the animal 
economy." — Prof. Thompson, p. 97. 

" Inflammation must needs occupy a large share of atten- 
tion of both the physician and the surgeon. In nine cases 
out of ten, the first question which either of them asks him- 
self, on being summoned to the patient, is, Have I to deal 



INFLAMMATION. 91 

with inflammation here ? It is constantly the object of his 
treatment and watchful care. It affects all parts that are fur- 
nished with bloodvessels, and it affects different parts very 
variously. . . . . It is by inflammation that wounds 
are closed and fractures repaired — that parts adhere together 
when their adhesion is essential to the preservation of the in- 
dividual, and that foreign and hurtful matters are conveyed 
out of the body. A cut finger, a deep sabre wound, alike 
require inflammation to reunite the divided parts. Does ul- 
ceration occur in the stomach or intestines, and threaten to 
penetrate through them — inflammation will often forerun and 
provide against the danger — glue the threatened membrane 

to whatever surface may be next it The foot 

mortifies, is killed by injury or by exposure to cold — inflamma- 
tion will cut off the dead and useless part. An abscess forms 
in the liver, or a large calculus concretes in the gall-bladder : 
how is the pus or the calculus to be got rid of? ... . 
Partial inflammation precedes and prepares for the expulsion ; 
the liver or the gall-bladder becomes adherent to the walls of 
the abdomen on the one hand, or to the intestinal canal on 
the other ; and then the surgeon may plunge his lancet into 
the collection of pus, or the abscess ; or the calculus may cut 
its own way safely out of the body, through the skin or 
into the bowels." — Watson, p. 94. 

" The salutary acts of restoration and prevention just 
adverted to, are such as nature conducts and originates. But 
we are ourselves able, in many instances, to direct and control 
the effect of inflammation — nay, we can excite it at our 
pleasure ; and, having excited it, we are able, in a great de- 
gree, to regulate its course. And for this reason it becomes, 
in skilful hands, an instrument of cure." — Ibid. p. 94. 

The above quotations are not complete. They are selec- 
tions from the sources whence they are drawn of those por- 
tions which testify that fever and inflammation are one and 
the same thing, and that this same thing consists in a salutary 
effort of nature to protect the organs of the body from the 
action of the causes of disease, or to remove those causes and 



92 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

their effects from the organs once diseased. That the same 
authors teach the very contrary of all this in the same para- 
graphs, and often in the same sentences, the following ex- 
tracts will clearly prove : — 

Inflammation produces disease. — " When inflammation 
cannot accomplish that salutary purpose, (a cure,) as in can- 
cer, scrofula, &c, it does mischief." — Hunter, p. 285. 

"Inflammation is occasionally the cause of disease." — 
Ibid. p. 286. 

" In one point of view, it may be considered as a disease 
itself/' ~:jbid. 

"It may be divided into two kinds, the healthy and the 
unhealthy. . . . The unhealthy admits of a vast vari- 
ety," &c. — Ibid. 

" Inflammation often produces mortification or death in 
the inflamed part." — Ibid. vol. iv. p. 305. 

" In the light of such authorities, it is surely not strange 
that no definite knowledge can be obtained of the nature, 
character, or tendency of inflammation. Of course, no one 
will dispute the proposition, that medicine, as taught in the 
schools, is a superstructure without a foundation, and should 
be wholly rejected." — Prof. Curtis. 

If the regulars have no correct theory of inflammation, 
then their system of blood-letting is all wrong. This they 
acknowledge ; for many with whom we have lately conversed 
say, " We do not use the lancet so often as formerly." One 
very good reason is, the sovereign people will not let them. 
Would it not be better for them to abolish its use altogether, 
as we have done, and avail themselves of the reform of 
the age ? 

The following remarks, selected from an address delivered 
by our respected preceptor, Professor Brown, ought to be read 
by every friend of humanity. 

" The very air groans with the bitter anathemas the people 
pronounce upon calomel, antimony, copper, zinc, arsenic, 
arsenious acid, stramonium, foxglove, belladonna, henbane, 
nux vomica, opium, morphia, and narcotin. 



INFLAMMATION. 93 

"Hear their bitter cries, borne on every breeze, 'Help! 
help ! help ! ' See the dim taper of life ; it glimmers — 'tis 
gone ! Vitality struggled, and struggled manfully to the last. 
The poisonous dose was repeated, till the citadel was yield- 
ed up. 

" The doctor arrives and attempts to comfort and quiet the 
broken-hearted widow, and helpless, dependent, fatherless 
children, by recounting the frailties of poor human nature, 
and reminding them of the fact that all men must die. 

" And thus the work of death goes on : the tenderest ties 
are severed ; children are left fatherless ; parents are bereaved 
of their children ; families are reduced to fragments ; society 
deprived of her best citizens, and the world filled with misery, 
confusion, and poverty, in consequence of an evil system of 
medication. , . . 

" The ball is in motion, the banner of medical reform 
waves gracefully over our beloved country. Hosts of the 
right stripe are coming to the rescue. Poisons are condemned., 
the lancet is growing dull, the effusion of blood will soon 
cease, the battles are half fought, and the victory is sure. 

While we would have you adhere to the well-estab- 
lished, fundamental principles of reformed medical science, as 
taught in this school, we would have you recollect that dis- 
coveries in knowledge are progressing Never 

entertain the foolish, absurd, and dangerous idea, that because 
you have been to college, you have learned all that is to be 
learned — that your education is finished, and you have noth- 
ing more to learn. The college is a place where we go to 
learn how to learn, and the world is the great university, in 
which our educational exercises terminate with our last expir- 
ing breath." 

The author craves the reader's indulgence for introducing 
Dr. Brown's remarks at this stage of the work. It is intend- 
ed for a class of readers {the farmers) who have not the time 
to make themselves acquainted with all that is going on in 
the medical world. We aim to make the book acceptable to 
that class of men. If we fail, the fault is in us, not in our 
subjects. 



94 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



REMARKS, 

SHOWING THAT VERY LITTLE IS KNOWN OF THE NATURE 
AND TREATMENT OP DISEASE. 

Mr. Percival details a case of peritonitis,* after the usual 
symptoms in the early stage had subsided. " The horse's 
bowels became much relaxed : suspecting that there was 
some disorder m the alimentary canal, and that this was an 
effort of nature to get rid of it, I promoted the diarrhoea by 
giving mild doses of cathartic medicine, in combination with 
calomel ! " [Nature did not require such assistance : warm 
drinks, composed of marshmallows, or slippery elm, would 
have been just the thing.] 

" On the third day from this, prolapsus ani (falling of the 
fundament) made its appearance. After the return of the gut, 
the animal grew daily duller, and more dejected, manifesting 
evident signs of considerable inward disorder, though he 
showed none of acute pain ; the diarrhoea continued ; swell- 
ing of the belly and tumefaction of the legs speedily fol- 
lowed : eight pounds of blood were drawn, and two ounces 
of oil of turpentine were given internally, and in spite of 
another bleeding, and some subordinate measures, carried 
him off [the treatment, we presume] in the course of a few 
hours. 

" Dissection : a slight blush pervaded the peritoneum ; at 
least the parietal portion of it, for the coats of the stomach 
and intestines preserved their natural whiteness. About eight 
gallons of water were measured out of the belly. f The ab- 
dominal viscera, as well as the thoracic, showed no marks of 
disease." 

We have stated, in the preceding pages, that the farmers 



* Inflammation of the peritoneum. 

f Water very frequently accumulates in the belly or chest, after 
blood-letting. 



VERY LITTLE KNOWN OF DISEASE. 95 

can generally treat some cases of disease, by simple means, 
with much better success than some of the regulars ; yet there 
are exceptions. Some of them have been inoculated with 
the virus of allopathy ; and when an animal is taken sick, 
and manifests evident signs of great derangement, they seem 
to suppose that the more medicine they cram down the better, 
forgetting, perhaps not knowing, that the province of the 
physician is to know when to do nothing. Others err from 
want of judgment ; and if they have an animal sick, they 
send for the neighbors ; each one has a favorite remedy ; down 
go castor oil, aloes, gin and molasses, in rapid succession. 
" He has inflammation of the insides," says one ; " give him 
salts." No sooner said than done ; the salts are hurried down, 
and, of course, find their way into the paunch. These, to- 
gether with a host of medicines too numerous to mention, 
are tried without effect : all is commotion within ; fermenta- 
tion commences ; gas is evolved ; the animal gives signs of 
woe. As a last resort, paunching, bleeding, &c, follow; per- 
haps the horns are bored, or some form of barbarity practised, 
and the animal dies under the treatment. 

A case similar to the above came under our notice a few 
months since. A cow, of a superior breed, was sent a few 
miles into the country to winter. Having always had the 
very best of feed, the owner gave particular instructions that 
she should be fed accordingly ; instead of which, however, 
she was fed on foxgrass and other indigestible matter, in con- 
sequence of which she was attacked with acute indigestion, 
(gastric fever, as it is generally called,) more popularly known, 
in barn-yard language, as a ''stoppage." A man professing 
to understand cow-doctoring was sent for, who, after adminis- 
tering "every thing he could think of" without success, gave 
a mixture of hog's lard and castor oil. When asked what 
indication he expected to fulfil, he replied, " My object was 
to wake up the cow's ideas " ! Unfortunately, he awoke the 
wrong ideas ; for the cow died. On making a post mortem 
examination, about half a bushel of partly-masticated fox- 
grass was found in the paunch, and the manyplus was dis- 



96 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

tended beyond its physiological capacity. On making an in- 
cision into it. the partly-digested food was quite hard and dry, 
and the mucous covering of the laminae — even the laminae 
themselves — could be detached with the slightest force. 
The farmer will probably inquire, What ought to be done in 
such cases ? Before we answer the question, a few remarks 
on the nature of the obstruction seem to be necessary. 

In the article Description of the Organs of Digestion, the 
reader will learn the modes by which the food reaches the 
different compartments of the stomach. In reference to the 
above case, the causes of derangement are self-evident, which 
will be seen as we proceed. The animal had, previous to the 
journey, (thirty miles,) received the greatest care and atten- 
tion ; in short, she had been petted. Being pregnant at the 
time, the stomach was more susceptible to derangement than 
at any other time. The long journey could not act other- 
wise than unfavorably : first, because it would fatigue the 
muscular system ; secondly, because it would irritate the ner- 
vous. Here, then, are the first causes ; and it is important, 
in all cases of a deviation from health, to ascertain, as near as 
possible, the causes, and remove them. This is considered 
the first step towards a cure. If we cannot remove the 
causes, we are enabled, by an inquiry into them, to adopt the 
most efficient means for the recovery of the animal. The 
animal having had a bountiful meal before starting on the 
journey, and not being allowed sufficient time to remasticate, 
(rumination is partially or totally suspended during active ex- 
ercise,) probably, combined with the above causes, an acute 
attack of the stomach set in — subsided after a few days, and 
left those organs in a debilitated state. The sudden change 
in diet also acted unfavorably, especially as the foxgrass re- 
quired more than ordinary gastric power to reduce it to a 
pulpy mass, fit to enter the fourth, or true digestive stomach. 
For want of a due share of vital action in the abomasum, 
(fourth stomach.) it was unable to perform its part in the 
physiological process of digestion ; hence the accumulation 
found in the manyplus. The causes of the detachment of 



VERY LITTLE KNOWN OF DISEASE. 97 

lamina?, and the blanched appearances, — for it was as white 
as new linen, — were partly chemical and partly mechanical. 
The mechanical obstruction consisted in over-distention of 
the manyplus from food, thereby obstructing the circulation 
of the blood through its parietes, (walls,) and depriving it not 
only of nutriment, from the nerves of nutrition, but paralyz- 
ing its secretive function. It then became a prey to chemical 
action and decomposition. The indications of cure were, to 
arouse the digestive organs by stimulants, then by anti-spas- 
modic, relaxing, and tonic medicines, (for which see Appen- 
dix :) the digestive organs would probably have recommenced 
their healthy action, and the life of the animal might have 
been saved. Oil and grease, of every description and kind, 
are not suitable remedies to administer to cattle when labor- 
ing under indigestion ; for at best their action is purely me- 
chanical, and cannot be assimilated by the nutritive function 
so as to act medicinally. Linseed oil is, however, absorbed 
and diffused. If the animal labors under obstinate constipa- 
tion, and it is evident that the obstruction is confined to the 
intestines, then we may resort to a dose of oil. 

The reader will perceive the benefits to be derived from a 
knowledge of animal physiology and veterinary medicine, 
when based upon sound principles and common sense. He 
will also see the importance of having educated and honora- 
ble men employed in~ cattle-doctoring. No doubt there are 
such ; but surely something is "rotten in Denmark ; " for we 
are repeatedly told by our patrons that they "judge of the 
merits of the veterinary art by the men they find engaged in it." 

Scientific Treatment of Colic, or Gripes. — " On the 5th 
September, 1824, a young bay mare was admitted into the 
infirmary with symptoms of colic, for which she lost eight 
pounds of blood before she came in. The following drench 
was prescribed to be given immediately : laudanum and oil 
of turpentine, of each, three ounces, with the addition of 
six ounces of decoction of aloes. In the course of half an 
hour, this was repeated ! But shortly after, she vomited the 
greater part by the mouth and nostrils. No relief having been 



98 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

obtained, twelve pounds of blood were taken from her, and 
the same drink was given. In another hour, this drench was 
repeated ; and, for the fourth time, during the succeeding 
hour ; both of which, before death, she rejected, as she had 
done the second drink. Notwithstanding these active meas- 
ures were promptly taken, she died about three hours after her 
admission." (See Clark's Essay on Gripes.) It appears that 
the doctors made short work of it. Twelve ounces of laud- 
anum, and the same of turpentine,* in three hours ! But 
this is li secundum artem " " skilful treatment " — a specimen 
of " science and skill," and justifiable in every case where the 
symptoms are "alarming." Let the reader, if he has ever 
seen a case of colic treated by us, contrast the result. Had 
the case been treated with relaxing, anti-spasmodic, carmina- 
tive drinks, warmth and moisture externally, injections inter- 
nally, and frictions generally, the poor animal would, probably, 
have been saved. We have attended many cases of the same 
sort, and have not yet lost the first one. 

Extraordinary case of " cattle doctoring "/ — which ought to 
be termed cattle-killing. — We were requested by Mr. S. of 
Waltham, December 18, 1850, to see a sick cow. The follow- 
ing is the history of the case : The cow, as near as we could 
judge, was of native breed, in good condition, and in her eighth 
pregnant month ; pulse, 80 per minute ; respirations, 36 per 
minute ; external surface, ears, horns, and legs, cold. She had 
not dunged for several days. She was found lying on her 
belly, with her bead turned round towards the left side. She 
struggled occasionally, and appeared to suffer from abdominal 
pain. She uttered a low, moaning sound when pressure was 
made on the abdominal muscles. The following facts were 
related to us by the owner, which we give in his own language : 
" I bought the cow, and drove her about 200 miles to this place. 
She had been here about a week, when I perceived she did 

* On remonstrating with a man who was about to administer half a pint 
of turpentine to a cow, he replied, " She has no business to be a cow ! " 
We presume that some of the regulars have just as much, and not a particle 
more, of the milk of animal kindness as this man seemed to show. 



VERY LITTLE KNOWN OF DISEASE. 99 

not eat her feed as well as usual. She became sick about nine 
days ago. I thought it best to begin to doctor her ! I employed 
a man who was reputed to be a pretty good cattle doctor. 
She got pretty well dosed between us, for we first gave her 
one pound of salts. The next day we gave her another pound. 
Finding this also failed to have the desired effect, we gave 
her one pound eight ounces more. She kept getting worse. 
We next gave her a quart of urine. She still grew worse. Two 
table-spoonfuls of gunpowder and a quarter of a pound of an- 
timony were then given ; still no improvement. As a last resort, 
we gave her eight drops of croton oil ; a few hours afterwards, 
nine drops more were given ; and a final dose of twenty drops 
of the same article was administered. The cow rolled her 
eyes as if she were about to die. I then called in the neigh- 
bors to kill her, when one of them advised me to come and 
see you." The reader will here perceive that we had a pretty 
desperate case; having been called in just at the eleventh 
hour. We may here remark that the cow had been under 
treatment nine days, during which time she had eaten scarcely 
any food, and passed but very little excrement. The medi- 
cine had been given at different stages during that period. 
There was evidently no accumulation of excrement in the 
rectum, for she had been raked and received several injections. 
As we were not requested to take charge of the case, the 
owner being unwilling to incur additional expense, we, there- 
fore, with a view of giving present relief, and fulfilling the 
necessary indications, ordered the following : — 

Powdered slippery elm, ... 1 table-spoonful. 

" caraways, .... 1 tea-spoonful. 

" marshmallows, . . 1 table-spoonful. 

" skullcap, .... 1 tea-spoonful. 

" grains of paradise, . . 1 tea-spoonful. 

A sufficient quantity of boiling water to form it into the con- 
sistence of thin gruel ; a junk bottle full to be given every 
two hours. 

Directions were given to rub the ears and extremities until 



100 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

they were warm, and the strength of the animal to be sup- 
ported with thin flour gruel. 

The indications to be fulfilled were as follows : — 

1st. To lubricate the mucous surfaces, and defend them 
from the action of the drugs. 

2d. To arouse the digestive function, and prevent the gen- 
eration of carbonic acid gas. 

3d. To allay nervous excitement, and remove spasms. 

Lastly. To equalize the circulation. 

The first indication can be fulfilled by slippery elm and 
marshmallows ; the second, by caraway seeds ; the third, by 
skullcap ; and the fourth, by grains of paradise. 

We have not been able, up to the present time, to ascertain 
the result. 

Here, then, are a few examples of horse and cattle doctor- 
ing, which we might multiply indefinitely, did we think it 
would benefit the reader. We ask the reader to ponder on 
these facts, and then answer the question, " What do horse 
and cattle doctors know about the treatment of disease ? " 

It gives us much pleasure, however, and probably it will 
the reader, to know that a few of the veterinary surgeons of 
London are just beginning to see the error of their ways. The 
following contribution to the Veterinarian, from the pen of 
Veterinary Surgeon Haycock, will be read with interest. The 
quotations are not complete. We only select those portions 
which we deem most instructive to our readers. The disease 
to which it alludes, puerperal fever, has made, and is at the 
present time making, sad havoc among the stock of our cat- 
tle-growing interest ; and it stands us in hand to gather honey 
wherever we can find it. " Of the various questions which 
present themselves to traders and owners of cattle respecting 
puerperal fever, the following are, perhaps, a few of the most 
important : First. At what period of their life are cows the 
most liable to be attacked with puerperal fever ? Secondly. 
At what period after the animal has calved does the disease 
generally supervene ? Thirdly. What is the average rate of 
mortality amongst cows attacked with this disease ? Fourthly. 



VERY LITTLE KNOWN OF DISEASE. 101 

What is the best method to pursue with cattle, in order, if pos- 
sible, to prevent the disease ? Fifthly. What is the best mode 
of treatment to be pursued with cattle when so attacked ? To 
these several questions I shall endeavor to reply as fully as 
my own knowledge of the matter will allow me. They are 
questions which ought to have been answered years ago ; [so 
they would have been, doctor, if, as Curtis says, your brethren 
had not been progressing in a circle, instead of direct lines ;] 
but no one appears to have thought it necessary. They are 
questions of great importance to the agriculturist ; if they 
were fully answered, he would be able to form a pretty accu- 
rate estimate as to the amount of risk he was likely at all 
times to incur with respect to puerperal diseases of a febrile 
nature. For instance, suppose it w r as fully ascertained, from 
data furnished by the correct observations of a number of prac- 
titioners, at what period of the cow's life the animal is most 
liable to be attacked with puerperal fever ; the agriculturist 
and cow-keeper would be able, in a considerable degree, to 
guard against it, either by feeding the animal, or taking such 
other steps as a like experience proved to be the best. It is 
of no earthly use practitioners writing i grandiloquent ' papers 
upon diseases like puerperal fever ; or in their telling the 
world, that puerperal fever is a disease of the nervous system ; 
or that the name which is given to it is very improper, and 
not suggestive ; or that- bleeding and the administration of a 
powerful purgative are proper to commence with ; together 
with hosts of stereotyped statements of a like nature — state- 
ments which are unceasingly repeated, and which are without 
one jot of sound experience to substantiate them. [All good 
and sound doctrine.] 

" Question First. At what period of their lives are cows the 
most liable to be attacked with puerperal fever ? I have in 
my possession notes and memoranda of twenty-nine cases of 
this disease, which notes and memoranda I have collected from 
cases I have treated from the month of July, 1842, to the 
month of July, 1849 — a period of seven years; and with 
reference to the above question the figures stand thus : Out 



102 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

of the twenty-nine, three of them were attacked at the third 
parturient period, five ditto at the fourth, sixteen at the fifth, 
two at the sixth, and three at the eighth. 

" It appears, then, from the above numbers, that cows are 
the most liable to puerperal fever at the fifth parturient pe- 
riod — a fact which is noticed by Mr. Barlow. 

" Secondly. At what period after the animal has calved 
does the disease generally supervene ? With reference to this 
question, the twenty-nine cases stand thus : — 

5 cows immediately after parturition. 
8 " in 20 hours " " 



5 


a 


in 23 


5 


a 


in 24 


3 


a 


in 30 


2 


a 


in 36 


1 


a 


in 72 



" It appears, then, from the above, that after the twentieth 
and twenty-fourth hours, the animals, comparatively speak- 
ing, may be considered as safe from the disease ; and that 
after the seventy-second or seventy-third hour, all danger 
may be considered as past, beyond doubt. 

" Thirdly. What is the average rate of mortality amongst 
cows attacked with this disease ? Out of the 29 cases, 12, I find, 
recovered and 17 died ; which loss is equivalent to somewhere 
about 59 per cent. — a loss which, I am inclined to think, is 
not so great as that of many other practitioners. [It will be 
still less if you reject poison as well as the lancet.] 

" Mr. Cart wright, in the May number of the Veterinarian 
of the present year, states that, ' Although I have seen at least 
a hundred cases, chiefly in this neighborhood, [Whitchurch,] 
during the last twenty-five years, yet I am almost ashamed 
to confess that I cannot call to recollection that I ever cured 
a single case, [neither will you ever cure one as long as the 
lancet and poison are cooperative.] nor have I ever heard of 
a case ever being cured by any of the quacks in the neighbor- 
hood.' [Of course not, for the quacks follow in the footsteps 
of their prototypes, the regular veterinary surgeons.] 



VERY LITTLE KNOWN OF DISEASE. 103 

" Fourthly. What is the best method to pursue with cattle, 
in order, if possible, to prevent the disease ? This is a ques- 
tion which I hope to see amply discussed by veterinarians. 
I have but little to offer respecting it myself; but I labor un- 
der a kind of feeling that something valuable may not only 
be said, but done, by way of prevention. With reference to 
preventing the disease, Mr. Barlow, in his Essay, says, ' There 
is a pretty certain preventive in milking the cow some time 
before calving in full blood-letting before or immediately after : 
in purgatives, very limited diet, and other depletive measures ; 
each and all tending to illustrate the necessity of a vascular 
state of the system for its development ! '" t 

Mr. Haycock continues : " So far as my own experience is 
concerned, it is at variance with almost every one of my ob- 
servations. In the table which I have given respecting ques- 
tion 2, the reader will recollect that I stated that puerperal 
fever supervened in five cows immediately after parturition. 
Now, it is worthy of remark, of these five cases, that every 
animal had been milked many hours previous to calving. The 
full udder, under such circumstances, is a powerful excitant 
to the uterus : this is a well-known fact, and the consequence 
is, that if this natural excitant be withdrawn, the action of 
the process at once becomes diminished, I have known many 
cases, in addition to those already given, where the parturient 
process was prolonged for hours in consequence of the ani- 
mal's being milked, in whom fever supervened almost imme- 
diately afterwards. The prolonged process, I think, greatly 
weakens the animal, and, as a natural result, the vital ener- 
gies become less capable of maintaining their normal integ- 
rity. With reference, again, to bleeding and purging as pre- 
ventives, I have nothing to offer in favor of either mode. I 
do not believe that they are preventives. [Good, again, doc- 
tor : you are one of the right stripe. It would give us pleasure 
to see a few such as you on this side of the water.] First 
of all, we require to know what percentage of calving cows 
are liable to be affected with puerperal fever ; then, whether 
that percentage becomes reduced in number m consequence 



104 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

of such preventive measures being brought into force : these 
are the only modes whereby the matter can be proved ; and, 
so far as I know, no one has ever brought the question to such 
a test. That bleeding and purging are considered as preven- 
tives by people in general, I know perfectly ; but, like many 
other popular opinions, the thing which is believed requires 
first to be proved ere it becomes truth. 

" I perfectly agree with Mr. Barlow in recommending spare 

diet. I regard it, in fact, as the great preventive 

When I say spare diet, I do not mean poor diet. The food 
should be good, but they should not have that huge bulk of 
matter which they are capable of devouring, and which they 
appear so much to desire. I should commence the process for 
eight or ten days prior to calving, or even, with some ani- 
mals, much earlier ; and the diet I would give should consist 
of beans, boiled linseed, and boiled oats, with occasionally 
small portions of hay. I should not always feed upon one 
mixture. I might occasionally substitute boiled barley in 
place of oats ; and when the time for calving was very near 
at hand, say within a day or so, I should become more spar- 
ing with my hay, and more copious with my allowance of 
bran. With regard to the diet after calving, I should pursue 
much the same course I have named : perhaps for the first 
thirty hours I might allow the animal nothing but gruel and 
bran mash, in which I should mix a little oatmeal, or very 
thick gruel. I have sometimes thought — but hitherto it has 
not gone beyond a thought with me — that a broad cotton or 
linen bandage, fixed moderately tight round the cow's body 
immediately after calving, might prove of some assistance as 
a preventive. I have had no experience in its benefit myself; 
I merely suggest the thing ; and if it did nothing more, it 
would prevent, in some measure, the animal from feeling that 
sensation of vacuity which must necessarily exist immedi- 
ately and for some time after calving, and which, I think, un- 
der some conditions of the system, may be injurious to the 
animal. I am told by a medical friend of mine, that he has 
known puerperal fever produced in women solely from mid- 



NATURE AND CAUSES OF DISEASE IN CATTLE. 105 

wives' neglecting to bandage them after delivery ; at any rate, 
a bandage, or a broad belt having straps and buckles attached, 
and placed securely round the cow's body immediately after 
calving, and kept there for a day or two, could do no harm, if 
it failed of doing good. 

" Fifthly. Which is the best method of treatment to pursue 
with cows when attacked with puerperal fever ? Upon this 
question I feel that I could say much ; but at present I defer 
its consideration. . . . Suffice it to say, then, that I 
never either bleed or administer purges. I used once to do 
both, but my experience has shown me, in numerous cases, 
that neither is necessary. . . . This malady I have writ- 
ten upon is fearfully destructive ; and if such diseases cannot 
be met with powers capable of wrestling with it, I, for one, 
shall say that it is a stigma upon our art — I will say that 
when we are most wanted, we are of the least use." 



NATURE, TREATMENT, AND CAUSES OP DISEASE IN CATTLE. 

The pathology, or doctrine of diseases, is, as we have pre- 
viously stated, little understood. Many different causes have 
been assigned for disease, and as many different modes of cure 
have been advocated. We shall not discuss either the an- 
cient or modern doctrines any further than we conceive they 
interfere with correct principles. Ln doing so, we shall en- 
deavor to confine ourselves to truth, reason, and nature. 

We entirely discard the popular doctrine that fever and 
inflammation are disease. We look upon them as simple acts 
of the constitution — sanative in their nature. Then the 
reader may ask, " Why do you recommend medicine for 
them ? " We do not. We only prescribe medicine, for the 
purpose of aiding nature to cure the diseases of which they 
(the fever and inflammation) are symptoms, and we do not 
expect to accomplish even that by medicine alone. Ventila- 
14 



106 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

tion, diet, and exercise, in nine cases out of ten, will do more 
good than the destructive agents that have hitherto been 
used, and christened "cattle medicines." 

The great secret of curing diseases is, by accurately observ- 
ing the indications of nature to carry off and cure disease, 
and by observing by what critical evacuations she does at last 
cast off the morbid matter which caused them, and so restores 
health. By thus observing, following, and assisting nature, 
agreeably to her indications, our practice will always be more 
satisfactory. 

Whenever the great outlets (skin, lungs, and kidneys) of 
the animal body are obstructed, morbific and excrementitious 
substances are retained in the system ; they irritate, stimulate, 
and offend nature in such a manner, that she always exerts . 
her power to throw them off. And she acts with great regu- 
larity in her endeavors to expel the offending matter, and thus 
restore the animal to a healthy state. 

Suppose an animal to be attacked with disease, and fever 
supervenes ; the whole system is then aroused to cast out this 
disease : nature invariably points to certain outlets, as the 
only passages through which the enemy must evacuate the 
system ; and it is the province of the physician to aid in this 
wise and well-established effort ; but when such means are 
resorted to as in the case of the cow at Waltham, (p. 98,) in- 
stead of rendering nature the necessary assistance, her powers 
and energies are entirely crushed. 

Let us suppose a horse to have been exercised ; during that 
exercise, there is a determination of heat and fluids to the 
surface : the pores of the skin expand and permit the fluids 
to make their exit : now, if the horse is put into a cold stable, 
evaporation commences, leaving the surface cold and the 
pores constricted, so that, after the circulating system has 
rested a while, it commences a strong action again, to throw 
off the remaining fluids that were thus suddenly arrested ; 
there is no chance for their escape, as the pores are closed ; 
the skin then becomes dry and harsh, the "coat stares," and 
the animal has, in common parlance, taken cold, and u it has 



PLEURO-PNETTMONIA. 107 

thrown him into a fever." Now, the cold is the real enemy 
to be overcome, and the fever should be aided by warmth, 
moisture, friction, and diffusables. If, at this stage, the cold 
is removed, the fever will disappear ; but if the disease (the 
cold) has been allowed to advance until a general derange- 
ment or sympathetic action is set up, and there is an accumu- 
lation of morbific matter in the system, then the restorative 
process must be more powerful and energetic • constantly 
bearing in mind that we must assist nature in her endeavors 
to throw off whatever is the cause of her infirmities. In- 
stead of attacking the disease with the lancet and poison,- — 
which is on the principle of killing the horse to cure the 
fever, — we should use remedies that are favorable to life. It 
matters not what organs are affected ; the means and processes 
are the same, and therefore the division of inflammation and 
fever into a great number of parts designated by as many 
names, and indicated by twenty times as many complications 
of symptoms which may never be present, only serve to be- 
wilder the practitioner, and render his practice ineffectual. 



PLEUROPNEUMONIA. 

As very little is, at present, known of the nature of this 
disease, we give the reader the views of Mr. Dun, who re- 
ceived the gold medal offered by the Agricultural Society for 
the best essay on this subject. 

" The causes of the disease, both immediate and remote, are 
subjects full of interest and importance ; and a knowledge of 
them not only aids in the prevention of disease, but also leads 
the practitioner to form a more correct prognosis, and to pur- 
sue the most approved course of treatment. It is, however, 
unfortunate that the causes of pleuro-pneumonia have not as 
yet been satisfactorily explained. No department of the his- 
tory of the disease is less understood, or more involved in 



108 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

doubt and obscurity. But in this respect pleuro-pneumonia 
is not peculiar : it is but one of an extensive class which em- 
braces most epidemic and epizootic diseases. And if the 
causes which produce influenza, fevers, and cholera, were 
clearly explained, those which produce pleuro-pneumonia 
would, in all probability, be easy of solution. 

" Viewing the wide-spread and similar effects of pleuro- 
pneumonia, we may surmise that they are referable to some 
common cause. And although much difference of opinion 
exists upon this subject, it cannot be denied that contagion is 
a most active cause in the diffusion of the disease. Indeed, 
a due consideration of the history and spread of pleuro-pneu- 
monia over all parts of the land will be sufficient to show 
that, in certain stages of the disease, it possesses the power 
of infecting animals apparently in a sound and healthy 
condition, and otherwise unexposed to the action of any ex- 
citing cause. The peculiarity of the progress of this disease, 
from the time that it first appeared in England, is of itself no 
small evidence of its contagious nature. Its slow and grad- 
ual progress is eminently characteristic of diffusion by conta- 
gion ; and not only were the earlier cases which occurred in 
this island distinctly proved to have arisen from contact with 
the Irish droves, but also subsequent cases, even up to the 
present day, show numerous examples in which contagion is 
clearly and unequivocally traceable. . . . Although pleuro- 
pneumonia is not produced by the action of any one of these cir- 
cumstances alone, [referring to noxious effluvia, &c.,] yet many 
of them must be considered as predisposing to the disease ; 
and although not its immediate exciting causes, yet, by de- 
pressing the physical powers, they render the system more 
liable to disease, and less able to withstand its assaults. De- 
ficient ventilation, filth, insufficient and bad food, may indeed 
predispose to the disease, concentrate the animal effluvia, and 
become the matrix and nidus of the organic poison ; but still, 
not one, alone, of these circumstances, or even all of them 
combined, can produce the disease in question. There must 
be the subtle poison to call them into operation, the specific 
influence to generate the disease. 



PLEUROPNEUMONIA. 109 

" On the other hand, it appears probable that the exciting 
cause, whether it be contagion, or whatever else, cannot, of 
itself, generate the disease ; but that certain conditions or 
predisposing causes are necessary to its existence, and without 
which its specific effects cannot be produced. But although 
these remote or predisposing causes are very numerous, they 
are often difficult of detection ; nay, it is sometimes impossi- 
ble to tell to what the disease is referable, or upon what weak 
point the exciting cause has fixed itself. A source of per- 
plexity results from the fact. . . . The predisposing 
causes of the disease admit of many divisions and subdi- 
visions ; they may, however, be considered under two general 
heads — hereditary and acquired. 

" With reference to the former, we know that good points 
and properties of an animal are transmitted from one genera- 
tion to another ; so also are faults, and the tendencies to par- 
ticular diseases. As in the same families there is a similarity 
of external form, so is there also an internal likeness, which 
accounts for the common nature of their constitution, modi- 
fied, however, by difference of age, sex, &c. 

" Among the acquired predisposing causes of pleuropneu- 
monia may be enumerated general debility, local weakness, 
resulting from previous disease, irritants and stimulants, ex- 
posure to cold, damp or sudden changes of temperature, the 
want of cleanliness, the- breathing of an atmosphere vitiated 
by the decomposition of animal or vegetable matters, or laden 
with any other impurity. In short, under this head may be 
included every thing which tends to lower the health and 
vigor of the system, and consequently to increase the suscep- 
tibility to disease. 

" The primary symptoms of pleuro-pneumonia are gener- 
ally obscure, and too often excite but little attention or anxi- 
ety. As the disease steals on, the animal becomes dull and 
dejected, and, if in the field, separates itself from its fellows. 
It becomes uneasy, ceases to ruminate, and the respirations 
are a little hurried. If it be a milk-cow, the lacteal secretion 
is diminished, and the udder is hot and tender. The eyes 



110 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

are dull, the head is lowered, the nose protruded, and the 
nostrils expanded. The urine generally becomes scanty 
and high-colored. It is seldom thought that much is the 
matter with the animal until it ceases to eat ; but this crite- 
rion does not hold good in most cases of the disease, for the 
animal at the outset still takes its food, and continues to do 
so until the blood becomes impoverished and poisoned ; it is 
then that the system becomes deranged, the digestive process 
impaired, and fever established. The skin adheres to the 
ribs, and there is tenderness along the spine. Manipulation 
of the trachea, and percussion applied to the sides, causes the 
animal to evince pain. Although the beast may have been 
ill only three days, the number of pulsations are generally 
about seventy per minute ; but they are sometimes eighty, 
and even more. In the first stage, the artery under the jaw 
feels full and large ; but as the disease runs on, the pulse rap- 
idly becomes smaller, quicker, and more oppressed. The 
breathing is labored, and goes on accelerating as the local in- 
flammation increases. The fore extremities are planted wide 
apart, with the elbows turned out in order to arch the ribs, 
and form fixed points for the action of those muscles which 
the animal brings into operation to assist the respiratory 
process. In pleuro-pneumonia, the hot stage of fever is never 
of long duration, [simply because there is not enough vitality 
in the system to keep up a continued fever,] The state of 
collapse quickly ensues, when the surface heat again decreases, 
and the pulse becomes small and less distinct. We have 
now that low typhoid fever so much to be dreaded, and which 
characterizes the disease in common with epizootics. 

" • . . . The horse laboring under pleuro-pneumonia, or, 
indeed, any pulmonary disease, will not lie down ; but, in the 
same circumstances, cattle do so as readily as in health. 
They do not, however, lie upon their side, but couch upon 
the sternum, which is broad and flat, and covered by a quan- 
tity of fibro-cellular substance, which serves as a cushion ; 
while the articulation between the lower extremities of the 
ribs admits of lateral expansion of the chest. In this posi- 



PLEUROPNEUMONIA. Ill 

tion cattle generally lie towards the side principally affected, 
thus relieving the sounder side, and enabling it to act more 
freely. There is sometimes a shivering and general tremor, 
which may exist throughout the whole course of the disease. 
(This is owing to a loss of equilibrium between the nerves 
of nutrition and the circulation.) .... As the case 
advances in severity, and runs on to an unfavorable termina- 
tion, the pulse loses its strength and becomes quicker. Res- 
piration is in most cases attended by a grunt at the com- 
mencement of expiration — a symptom, however, not obser- 
vable in the horse. The expired air is cold, and of a noisome 
odor. The animal crouches. There is sometimes an appar- 
ent knuckling over at the fetlocks, caused by pain in the 
joints. This symptom is mostly observable in cases when 
the pleura and pericardium are affected. The animal grinds 
its teeth. The appetite has now entirely failed, and the ema- 
ciation becomes extreme. The muscles, especially those 
employed in respiration, become wasted ; the belly is tucked, 
and the flanks heave ; the oppressive uneasiness is excessive ; 
the strength fails, under the convulsive efforts attendant upon 
respiration, and the poor animal dies. 

" In using means to prevent the occurrence of the disease, 
we should endeavor to maintain in a sound and healthy tone 
the physical powers of the stock, and to avoid whatever 
tends to depress the vital force. Exposure to the influence 
of contagion [and infection] must be guarded against, and, on 
the appearance of the disease, every precaution must be used 
to prevent the healthy having communication with the sick. 
By a steady pursuance, on the part of the stock proprietor, of 
these precautionary measures, and by the exercise of care, 
prudence, and attention, the virulence of the disease will, we 
are sure, be much abated, and its progress checked." 

As the reader could not be benefited by our detailing the 
system of medication pursued in England, — at least we 
should judge not, when we take into consideration the great 
loss that attends their best efforts, -— we shall therefore pro- 



112 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

ceed to inform the reader what the treatment ought to be in 
the different stages of the disease. 

General Indication of Cure in Pleuro-Pneumonia. — Re- 
store the suppressed evacuations, or the secretions and excre- 
tions, if they are obstructed. 

If bronchial irritation or a cough be present, shield and 
defend the mucous surfaces from irritation. Relieve conges- 
tions by equalizing the circulation. Support the powers of 
the system. Relieve all urgent symptoms. 

Special Practice. — Suppose a cow to be attacked with 
a slight cough. She appears dull, and is off her feed ; pulse 
full, and bowels constipated ; and she is evidently out of 
condition. • 

Then the medicines should be anti-spasmodic and relax- 
ent, tonic, diaphoretic, and lubricating. 

The following is a good example : — 

Powdered golden seal, (tonic,) ... 1 table-spoonful. 

" mandrake, (relaxent,) . . 2 tea-spoonfuls. 

" lobelia, (anti-spasmodic,) . 1 tea-spoonful. 

" slippery elm or mallows, 

(lubricating,) ... 1 table-spoonful. 

" hyssop tea, (diaphoretic,) . 1 gallon. 

After straining the hyssop tea, mix with it the other ingre- 
dients, and give a quart every two hours. 

In the mean time, administer the following injection : — 

Powdered lobelia, } of each, half a 

" ginger, ) table-spoonful. 

Boiling water, . 1 gallon. 

When cool, inject. 

Particular attention must be paid to the general surface. 
If the surface and the extremities are cold, then employ 



PLEUROPNEUMONIA. 113 

friction, warmth, and moisture. The animal must be in a 
comfortable barn, neither too hot nor too cold ; if it be imper- 
fectly ventilated, the atmosphere may be improved by stirring 
a red-hot iron in vinegar or pyroligneous acid, or by pouring 
either of these articles on heated bricks. The strength is to 
be supported, provided the animal be in poor condition, with 
gruel, made of flour and shorts, equal parts ; but, as it fre- 
quently happens (in this country) that animals in good flesh 
are attacked, in such case food would be inadmissible. 

Suppose the animal to have been at pasture, and she is not 
observed to be " ailing " until rumination is suspended. She 
then droops her head, and has a cough, accompanied with 
difficult breathing, weakness in the legs, and sore throat. 
Then, in addition to warmth, moisture, and friction, as already 
directed, apply to the joints and throat the following : — 

Boiling vinegar, .... 1 quart. 
African cayenne, . . . . 1 table-spoonful. 

The throat being sore, the part should be rubbed gently. 
The joints may be rubbed with energy for several minutes. 
The liquid must not be applied too hot. 

Take 



gmia snaKerooi, . } . -' 

> of each, 2 ounces. 



Yirginia snakeroot 
Sage, 

Skullcap, (herb,) 1 ounce. 

Pleurisy root, 1 ounce. 

Infuse in boiling water, . . . . 1 gallon. 

After standing for the space of one hour, strain ; then add 
a gill of honey and an ounce of powdered licorice or slip- 
pery elm. Give a quart every four hours. 

Should the cough be troublesome, give 

Balsam copaiba, .... 1 table-spoonful. 
Sirup of garlic, .... 1 ounce. 
Thin gruel, 1 quart. 

Give the whole at a dose, and repeat as occasion may 
15 



114 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

require. A second dose, however, should not be given until 
twelve hours have elapsed. 

Injections must not be overlooked, for several important in- 
dications can be fulfilled by them. (For the different forms, 
see Appendix.) 

If the disease has assumed a typhus form, then the indica- 
tions will be, — 

First. To equalize the circulation and nervous system, 
and maintain that equilibrium. This is done by giving the 
following : — 

Powdered African cayenne, . . 1 tea-spoonful. 

" flagroot, 1 table-spoonful. 

Skullcap, ^ ounce. 

Marshmallows, 4 ounces. 

Put the whole of the ingredients into a gallon of water ; 
boil for five minutes ; and, when cool, strain ; sweeten with 
a small quantity of honey ; then give a quart every two hours. 

The next indication is, to counteract the tendency to 
putrescence. This may be done by causing the animal to 
inhale the fumes of pyrol igneous acid, and by the internal 
use of bayberry bark. They are both termed antiseptics. 
The usual method of generating vapor for inhalation is, by 
first covering the animal's head with a horse-cloth, the corners 
of which are suffered to fall below the animal's nose, and held 
by assistants in such a manner as to prevent, as much as pos- 
sible, the escape of the vapor. A hot brick is then to be 
grasped in a pair of tongs, and held about a foot beneath the 
nose. An assistant then pours the acid, (very gradually,) on 
the brick. Half a pint of acid will be sufficient for one 
steaming, provided it be used with discretion ; for if too much 
is poured on the brick at once, the temperature will be too 
rapidly lowered. 

In reference to the internal use of bayberry, it may be well 
to remark, that it is a powerful astringent and antiseptic, and 
should always be combined with relaxing, lubricating medi- 
cines. Such are licorice and slippery elm. 



LOCKED-JAW. 115 

The following may be given as a safe and efficient anti- 
septic drink : — 

Powdered bayberry bark, . half a table-spoonful. 

A charcoal, ... 1 table-spoonful. 

Slippery elm, 1 ounce. 

Boiling water, ..... 1 gallon. 

Mix. Give a quart every two hours. 

The diet should consist of flour gruel and boiled carrots. 
Boiled carrots may be allowed (provided the animal will eat 
them) during the whole stage of the malady. 

The object of these examples of special practice is to direct 
the mind of the farmer at once to something that will answer 
a given purpose, without presuming to say that it is the best 
in the world for that purpose. The reader will find in our 
materia medica a number of articles that will fulfil the same 
indications just as well. 



LOCKED-JAW. 



Mr. You att says, [i Working cattle are most subject to 
locked-jaw, because they may be pricked in shoeing ; and 
because, after a hard day's work, and covered with perspira- 
tion, they are sometimes turned out to graze during a wet or 
cold night. Over-driving is not an uncommon cause of 
locked-jaw in cattle. The drovers, from long experience, cal- 
culate the average mortality among a drove of cattle in their 
journey from the north to the southern markets ; and at the 
head of the list of diseases, and with the greatest number of 
victims, stands ' locked-jaw,' especially if the principal drover 
is long absent from his charge." 

The treatment of locked-jaw, both in horses and' cattle, 
has, hitherto, been notoriously unsuccessful. This is not to 



116 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

be wondered at when we take into consideration the destruc- 
tive character of the treatment. 

" Take," says Mr. Youatt, "twenty-four pounds of blood 
from the animal ; or bleed him almost to fainting-. . . 
Give him Epsom salts in pound and a half doses ( ! ) until it 
operates. Purging being established, an attempt must be 
made to allay the irritation of the nervous system by means 
of sedatives ; and the best drug is opium.* The dose should 
be a drachm three times a day. [One fortieth part of the 
quantity here recommended to be given in one day would 
kill a strong man who was not addicted to its use.] At the 
same time, the action of the bowels must be kept up by Ep- 
som salts, or common salt, or sulphur, and the proportion of 
the purgative and the sedative must be so managed, that the 
constitution shall be under the influence of both.f A seton 
of black hellebore root may be of service. It frequently pro- 
duces a great deal of swelling and inflammation. J 
If the disease terminates successfully, the beast will be left 
sadly out of condition, and he will not thrive very rapidly. 
He must, however, be got into fair plight, as prudence will 
allow, and then sold ; for he will rarely stand much work 
afterwards, or carry any great quantity of flesh." The same 
happens to us poor mortals when we have been dosed secun- 
dum artem. We resemble walking skeletons. 

Our own opinion of the disease is, that it is one of nervous 
origin, and that the tonic spasm, always present in the muscles 

# This is a narcotic vegetable poison ; and although large quantities have 
been occasionally given to the horse without apparent injury, experience 
teaches us that poisons in general — notwithstanding the various modes of 
their action, and the difference in their symptoms — all agree in the abstrac- 
tion of vitality from the system. Dr. Eberle says, " Opiates never fail to 
operate perniciously on the whole organization." Dr. Gallup says, " The 
practice of using opiates to mitigate pain is greatly to be deprecated. It is 
probable that opium and its preparations have done seven times the injury 
that they have rendered benefit on the great scale of the civilized world. 
Opium is the most destructive of all narcotics." 

t This is a perfect seesaw between efforts to kill and efforts to cure. 

% Then it ought not to be used. 



LOCKED- J AW. 117 

of voluntary motion, is only symptomatic of derangement in 
the great, living electro-galvanic battery, (the brain and spi- 
nal cord,) or in some of its wires (nerves) of communication. 

Mr. Percival says, " Tetanus consists, in a spasmodic con- 
traction, more or less general, of the muscles of voluntary 
motion, and especially of those that move the lower jaw ; 
hence the vulgar name of it, locked-jaw, and the technical one 
of trismus." 

In order to make ourselves clearly understood, and furnish 
the reader with proper materials for him to prosecute his in- 
quiries with success, a few remarks on the origin of muscular 
motion seem to be absolutely necessary. 

It is generally understood by medical men, and taught in 
the schools, that there are in the animal economy four distinct 
systems of nerves. 

1st system. This consists of the sensitive nerves, which are 
distributed to all parts of the animal economy endowed with 
feeling ; and all external impulses are reflected to the medulla 
oblongata, &c. (See DadoVs work on the Horse, p. 127.) In 
short, these nerves are the media through which the animal 
gets all his knowledge of external relations. 

2d system. The motive. These proceed from nearly the same 
centre of perception, and distribute themselves to all the mus- 
cles of voluntary motion. It is evident that the muscle itself 
cannot perform its office' without the aid of the nerves, (elec- 
tric wires ; ) for it has been proved by experiment on the living 
animal, that when the posterior columns of nervous matter, 
which pass down from the brain towards the tail, are severed, 
then all voluntary motion ceases. Motion may, however, con- 
tinue ; but it can only be compared to a ship at sea without 
a rudder, having nothing to direct its course. It follows, then, 
that if the nerves of motion and sensation are severed, there 
is no communication between the parts to which they are dis- 
tributed and the brain. And the part, if its nutritive function 
be also paralyzed, will finally become as insensible as a stone - — 
wither and die. 

3d system. The respiratory. These are under the control of 



118 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

the will only through the superior power, as manifested by the 
motive nerves. For the animal will breathe whether it wishes 
to or not j as long as the vital spark burns. 

4th system. The sympathetic, sometimes called nutritive 
nerves. They are distributed to all the organs of digestion, ab- 
sorption, circulation, and secretion. These four nervous struc- 
tures, or systems, must all be in a physiological state, in order 
to carry on, with unerring certainty, their different functions. 
If they are injured or diseased, then the perceptions of exter- 
nal relations are but imperfectly conveyed to the mind. ( Brutes 
have a mind.) On the other hand, if the brain, or its ap- 
pendages, spinal marrow, &c, be in a pathological state, then 
the manifestations of mind or will are but imperfectly rep- 
resented. Now, it is evident to every reasonable man, that 
the nerves may become diseased from various causes ; and 
this explains the reason why locked-jaw sometimes sets in 
without any apparent cause. The medical world have then 
agreed to call it idiopathic. This term only serves to bewil- 
der us, and fails to throw the least light on the nature of the 
malady, or its causes. Many men ridicule the idea of the 
nerves being diseased, just because alterations in their struc- 
ture are not evident to the senses. We cannot see the atoms 
of water, nor even the myriads of living beings abounding in 
a single drop of water ! yet no one doubts that water contains 
many substances imperceptible to the naked eye. We know 
that epizootic diseases are wafted, by the winds, from one part 
of the world to another ; yet none of us have ever seen the 
specific virus. Can any man doubt its existence ? 

Hence it appears that diseases may exist in delicately-organ- 
ized filaments, without the cognizance of our external percep- 
tions. 

It is further manifest that locked-jaw is only symptomatic 
of diseased nervous structures, and that a pathological state 
of the nervous filaments may be brought about independent of 
a prick of a nail, or direct injury to a nerve. 

Hence, instead of tetanus consisting " in a spasmodic con- 
traction of the muscles of voluntary motion," it consists in a 



LOCKED-JAW. 119 

deranged state of the nervous system ; and. the contracted 
state of the muscles is only symptomatic of such derangement. 
Then what sense is there in blistering, bleeding, and inserting 
setons in the dewlap ? Of what use is it to treat symptoms ? 
Suppose a man to be attacked with hepatitis, (inflammation 
of the liver:) he has a pain in the right shoulder. Suppose 
the physician prescribes a plaster for the latter, without ascer- 
taining the real cause, or perhaps not knowing of its existence. 
We should then say that the doctor only treated symptoms. 
" And he who treats symptoms never cures disease." Suppose 
locked-jaw to have supervened from an attack of acute indiges- 
tion : would it not be more rational to restore the lost function ? 

Suppose locked-jaw to have set in from irritating causes, 
such as bots in the stomach, worms in the intestines, &c. : 
would bleeding remove them ? would it not render the sys- 
tem less capable of recovering its physiological equilibrium, 
and resisting the irritation produced by these animals on the 
delicate nervous tissues ? 

Suppose, as Mr. Youatt says, that locked-jaw sets in " after 
turning the animal out to graze during a cold night : " will 
a blister to the spine, or a seton in the dewlap, restore the lost 
function of the skin ? 

In short, would it not be more rational, in cases of locked- 
jaw, to endeavor to restore the healthy action of all the func- 
tions, instead of depressing them with the agents referred to ? 

Then the question arises, What are the indications to be 
fulfilled ? 

First. Restore the lost function. 

Secondly. Equalize the circulation, and maintain an equi- 
librium between nervous and arterial action. 

Thirdly. Support the powers of life. 

Fourthly. If locked-jaw arise from a wound, then apply 
suitable remedial agents to the part, and rescue the nervous 
system from a pathological state. 

To fulfil the fourth indication, we commence the treatment 
as follows : — 

Suppose the foot to have been pricked or wounded. We 



120 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

make an examination of the part, and remove all extraneous 
matter. The following poultice must then be applied : — 

Powdered skunk cabbage, } 

" lobelia, . . > . . equal parts. 

" poplar bark, . J 
Indian meal, 1 pint. 

Make it of the proper consistence with boiling water. When 
sufficiently cool, put it into a flannel bag, and secure it above 
the pastern. To be renewed every twelve hours. After 
the second application, examine the foot, and if suppuration 
has commenced, and matter can be felt, or seen, a small punc- 
ture may be made, taking care not to let the knife penetrate 
beyond the bony part of the hoof. 

In the mean time, prepare the following drink : — 

Indian hemp or milkweed, (herb,) . 1 ounce. 

Powdered mandrake, 1 table-spoonful. 

Powdered lobelia seeds, 1 tea-spoonful. 

" poplar bark, (very fine,) . 1 ounce. 

Make a tea, in the usual manner — about one gallon. After 
straining it through a cloth, add the other ingredients, and 
give a quart every two hours. 

A long-necked bottle is the most suitable vehicle in which 
to administer ; but it must be poured down in the most grad- 
ual manner. The head should not be elevated too high. 

A liberal allowance of camomile tea may be resorted to, 
during the whole stage of the disease. 

Next stimulate the external surface, by warmth and mois- 
ture, in the following manner : Take about two quarts of 
vinegar, into which stir a handful of lobelia ; have a hot brick 
ready, (the animal having a large cloth, or blanket, thrown 
around him;) pour the mixture gradually on the brick, which 
is held over a bucket to prevent waste ; the steam arising will 
relax the surface. After repeating the operation, apply the 
following mixture around the jaws, back, and extremities: 
take of cayenne, skunk cabbage, and cypripedium, (lady's 



INFLAMMATORY DISEASES. 121 

slipper,) powdered, each two ounces, boiling vinegar two 
quarts ; stir the mixture until sufficiently cool, rub it well in 
with a coarse sponge ; this will relax the jaws a trifle, so that 
the animal can manage to suck up thin gruel, which may be 
given warm, in any quantity. This process must be perse- 
vered in ; although it may not succeed in every case, yet it 
will be more satisfactory than the blood-letting and poisoning 
system. No medicine is necessary ; the gruel will soften the 
fasces sufficiently ; if the rectum is loaded with faeces, give 
injections of an infusion of lobelia. 



INFLAMMATORY DISEASES. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE STOMACH, (Gasteitis.) 

Such a complicated piece of mechanism is the stomach of 
the ox, that that organ is particularly liable to disease. In- 
flammation, being the same as local fever, (or a high grade of 
vital power, concentrated within a small space,) may be pro- 
duced by over-feeding, irritating and indigestible food, or acrid, 
poisonous, and offensive medicines. The farmer must re- 
member that a small quantity of good, nutritious food, capa- 
ble of being easily penetrated by the gastric fluids, will repair 
the waste that is going on, and improve the condition with 
more certainty than an abundance of indifferent provender. 

Cure. — The first indication will be to allay the irritability 
of the stomach ; this will moderate the irritation and lessen 
the fever. Make a mucilaginous drink of slippery elm, or 
marshmallows, and give half a pint every two hours. All 
irritating food arid drink must be carefully avoided, and the 
animal must be kept quiet ; all irritating cordials, " including 
the popular remedy, gin and molasses," must be avoided. 
These never fail to increase the malady, and may occasion 
death. If there is an improper accumulation of food in the 
16 



122 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

viscera, the remedies will be, relaxing clysters, abstinence from 
food, and a tea of sassafras and mandrake, made thus : — 

Sassafras, (laurus sassafras,) .... 1 ounce. 
Mandrake, (podophyllum peltatum,) . . 4 drachms. 
Boiling water, 2 quarts. 

Let the mixture stand until quite cool, and give a pint every 
four hours. 

Almost all animals, when suffering under acute symptoms, 
require diluting, cooling drinks. This at once points out the 
use of water, or any weak gruel of which water is the basis ; 
the necessity of diluting liquors is pointed out by the heat 
and dryness of the mouth, and rigidity of the coat. 

When the thirst is great, the following forms a grateful and 
cooling beverage : Take lemon balm, (melissa officinalis,) two 
ounces ; boiling water, two quarts : when cool, strain, and add 
half a tea-spoonful of cream of tartar. Give half a pint at 
intervals of two hours. 

If the stomach continues to exhibit a morbid state, which 
may be known by a profuse discharge of saliva from the mouth, 
then administer camomile tea in small quantities : the addi- 
tion of a little powdered charcoal will prove beneficial. 

Remarks. — Gastritis cannot be long present without other 
parts of the system sharing the disturbance : it is then termed 
gastric fever. This fever is the result of the local affection. 
Our object is, to get rid of the local affection, and the fever 
will subside. Authors have invariably recommended destruc- 
tive remedies for the cure of gastritis ; but they generally fail 
of hitting the mark, and always do more or less injury. 

A light diet, rest, a clean bed of straw in a well-ventilated 
barn, will generally perfect the cure. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE LUNGS, (Pneumonia.) 

Causes. — Errors in feeding, over-exertion, exposure in 
wet pastures, or suffering the animal, when in a state of per- 



INFLAMMATORY DISEASES. 123 

spiration, to partake too bountifully of cold water, are among 
the direct causes of a derangement of vital equilibrium. Want 
of pure air for the purpose of vitalizing the blood, the inha- 
lation of noxious gases, and filth and uncleanliness, may pro- 
duce this disease in its worst form ; yet it must be borne in 
mind that the same exciting causes will not develop the same 
form of disease in all animals. It altogether depends on the 
amount of vital resistance, or what is termed the peculiar 
idiosyncrasy of the animal. On the other hand, several ani- 
mals often suffer from the same form of disease, from causes 
varying in their general character. Hence the reader will see 
that it would be needless, in fact impossible, to point to the 
direct cause in each grade of disease. The least obstruction 
to universal vital action will produce pneumonia in some ani- 
mals, while in others it may result in disease of the bowels. 

Cure. — No special treatment can be successfully pursued 
in pneumonia ; for the lungs are not the only organs involved : 
no change of condition can occur in the animal functions 
without the nervous system being more or less deranged ; for 
the latter is essential to all vital motions. Hence disease, in 
every form, should be treated according to its indications. A 
few general directions may, however, be found useful. The 
first indication to be fulfilled is to equalize the blood. Flan- 
nels saturated with warm vinegar should be applied to the 
extremities ; they may be folded round the legs, and renewed 
as often as they grow cold. Poultices of slippery elm, ap- 
plied to the feet, as hot as the animal can bear them, have 
sometimes produced a better result than vinegar. If the ani- 
mal has shivering fits, and the whole surface is chilled, apply 
warmth and moisture as recommended in article " Locked- 
Jaw." At the same time, endeavor to promote the insensible 
perspiration by the internal use of diaphoretics — lobelia or 
thoroughwort tea. A very good diaphoretic and anti-spas- 
modic drink may be made thus : — 

Lobelia, (herb,) 2 ounces. 

Spearmint, . ..... 1 ounce. 

Boiling water, 2 quarts. 



124 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Let the above stand for a few minutes ; strain, then add two 
table-spoonfuls of honey. Give half a pint every hour, tak- 
ing care to pour it down the oesophagus very gently, so as to 
insure its reaching the fourth or true digestive stomach. The 
following clyster must be given : — 

Powdered lobelia, .... 2 ounces. 
Boiling water, 3 quarts. 

When sufficiently cool, inject with a common metal syringe. 
These processes should be repeated as the symptoms re- 
quire, until the animal gives evidence of relief ; when a light 
diet of thin gruel will perfect the cure. It must ever be borne 
in mind that in the treatment of all forms of disease — those 
of the kings more especially — the animal must have pure, 
uncontaminated atmospheric air, and that any departure from 
purity in the air which the animal respires, will counteract all 
our efforts to cure. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS, (Enteritis. — Inflammation or 

THE FlBRO-MuSCULAR COAT OF THE INTESTINES.) 

Character. — Acute pain ; the animal appears restless, and 
frequently turns his head towards the belly ; moans, and ap- 
pears dull ] frequent small, hard pulse ; cold feet and ears. 

Causes. — Plethora, costiveness, or the sudden application 
of cold either internally or externally, overworking, &c. 

Cure. — In the early stages of the disease, all forms of 
medication that are in any way calculated to arouse the peri- 
staltic motion of the intestines should be avoided ; hence purges 
are certain destruction. Relax the muscular structure by the 
application of a blanket or horse-cloth wrung out in hot water. 
In this disease, it is generally sufficient to apply warmth and 
moisture as near the parts affected as possible ; yet if the ears 
and legs are cold, the general application of warmth and mois- 
ture will more speedily accomplish the relaxation of the whole 
animal. After the application of the above, injections of a 



INFLAMMATORY DISEASES. 125 

mild, soothing character (slippery elm, or flaxseed tea) should 
be used very liberally. A drink of any mucilaginous, lubri- 
cating, and innocent substance may be given, such as mal- 
lows, linseed, Iceland moss, slippery elm. During convales- 
cence, the diet must be light and of an unirritating character, 
such as boiled carrots, scalded meal, &c. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE PERITONEAL COAT OF THE 
INTESTINES, (Peritonitis.) 

This disease requires the same treatment as the latter 
malady. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE KIDNEYS, (Nephritis.) 

The usual symptoms are a quick pulse ; loss of appetite ; 
high-colored urine, passed in small quantities, with difficulty 
and pain. Pressure on the loins gives pain, and the animal 
will shrink on placing the hand over the region of the 
kidneys. 

Causes. — Cold, external injury, or injury from irritating 
substances, that are often sent full tilt through the kidneys, as 
spirits of turpentine, gin and molasses, saleratus. It is un- 
necessary to detail all the causes of the disease : suffice it to 
say, that they exist in any thing that can for a time ob- 
struct the free and full play of the different functions. 

Treatment. — This, too, will consist in the invitation of 
the blood to the surface and extremities, and by removing all 
irritating matter from the system, in the same manner as for 
inflammation of the bowels. The application of a poultice 
of ground hemlock, or a charge of gum hemlock, will gener- 
ally be found useful. The best drinks — and these should 
only be allowed in small quantities — are gum arabic and 
marshmallow decoctions. 



126 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE BLADDER, (Cystitis.) 

During the latter months of pregnancy, the bladder is often 
in an irritable state, and a frequent desire to void the urine is 
observed, which frequently results from constipation. A pe- 
culiar sympathy exists between the bladder and rectum ; and 
when constipation is present, there is a constant effort on the 
part of the animal to void the excrement. This expulsive 
action also affects the bladder : hence the frequent efforts to 
urinate. The irritable state of the bladder is caused by the. 
pressure of the loaded rectum on the neck of the former. 

The common soap-suds make a good injection, and will 
quickly soften the hardened excrement j after which the fol- 
lowing clyster may be used : — 

Linseed tea, 3 quarts. 

Cream of tartar, 1 ounce. 

After throwing into the rectum about one third of the 
above, press the tail on the anus. The object is, to make it 
act as a fomentation in the immediate vicinity of the parts. 
After the inflammation shall have subsided, administer the 
following in a bottle, or horn : — - 

Powdered blackroot, (leptandra virginica,) half an ounce. 
Warm water, 1 pint. 

Repeat the dose, if the symptoms are not relieved. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE WOMB. 

This may be treated in the same manner as the last-named 
disease. The malady may be recognized by lassitude, loss 
of appetite, diminution in the quantity, and deterioration in 
the quality, of the milk. As the disease advances, there is 
often a fetid discharge from the parts ; a constant straining, 
which is attended with a frequent flow of urine. 



INFLAMMATORY DISEASES. 127 



INFLAMMATION OF THE BRAIN, (Phrenitis.) 

In this disease, the pia mater, arachnoid membrane, or the 
brain itself, may be inflamed. It matters very little which of 
the above are deranged, for the means of cure are the same. 
We have no method of making direct application to either 
of the above, as they all lie within the cranium. Neither 
can we act upon them medicinally except through the organs 
of secretion, absorption, and circulation. Post mortem exam- 
inations reveal to us evident marks of high inflammatory 
action, both in the substance of the brain and in its mem- 
branes ; and an effusion of blood, serum, or of purulent matter, 
has been found in the ventricles of the brain. 

Treatment. — The indications are, to equalize the circula- 
tion by warmth and moisture externally, and maintain the 
action to the surface by rubbing the legs with the following 
counter-irritant : — 

Vinegar, 1 quart. 

Common salt, 2 ounces. 

Set the mixture on the fire, (in an earthen vessel,) and allow 
it to simmer for a few moments ; then apply it to the legs. 
After the circulation is somewhat equalized, give the follow- 
ing drench : — 

Extract of butternut, . . . half an ounce. 
Tea of hyssop, . .... 1 pint. 

A stimulating clyster may then be given, composed of 
warm water, into which a few grains of powdered capsicum 
may be sprinkled. 

If due attention be paid to counter-irritation, and the head 
kept cool by wet cloths, the chances of recovery are pretty 
certain. 



128 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE EYE. 

This disease is too well known to require any description ; 
we shall therefore, at once, proceed to point out the ways 
and means for its cure. 

Treatment. — First wash the eyes with a weak decoction 
of camomile flowers until they are well cleansed ; then give 
a cooling drink, composed of 

Cream of tartar, 1 ounce. 

Decoction of lemon balm, ... 1 quart. 

Repeat this drink every six hours, until the bowels are 
moved. Should the disease occur where these articles cannot 
be procured, give two ounces of common salt in a pint of 
water. Should the eye still continue red and swollen, give a 
dose of physic. (See Physic for Cattle.) 

If a film can be observed, wash with a decoction of pow- 
dered bloodroot : and if a weeping remain, use the following 
astringent : — 

Powdered bayberry bark, .... 1 ounce. 
Boiling water, 1 pint. 

When cool, pour off the clear liquor. It is then fit for use. 

Inflammation of the eye may assume different forms, but 
the above treatment, combined with attention to rest, ventila- 
tion, a dark location, and a light diet, will cover the whole 
ground. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE LIVER, (Hepatitis.) 

Cattle very frequently show signs of diseased liver. Stall- 
fed oxen and cows kept in cities are most liable to derange- 
ment of the liver ; in such animals, (after death,) there is an 
unusual yellowness of the fat. A disease of the liver may 
exist for a long time without interfering much with the gen- 



INFLAMMATORY DISEASES. 129 

eral health. Mr. Youatt informs us that " a chronic form of 
diseased liver may exist for some months, or years, not char- 
acterized by any decided symptom, and but little interfering 
with health." 

Symptoms. — Permanent yellowness of the eyes ; quick 
pulse ; dry muzzle ; hot mouth ; considerable pain when 
pressure is made on the right side. Occasionally the animal 
looks round and licks the spot over the region of the liver. 

Treatment. — First give half pint doses of thorough wort 
tea, at intervals of one hour, (to the amount of two quarts.) 
This will relax the system, and equalize vital action. The 
following drench is then to be given : — 

Extract of butternut, . . . half an ounce. 
Warm water, 1 quart. 

If the butternut cannot be obtained, substitute a dose of 
physic. (See Appendix.) Stimulate the bowels to action by 
injections of soap-suds. If the extremities are cold, proceed 
to warm them in the manner alluded to in article Inflamma- 
tion of the Bowels. On the other hand, if the surface of 
the body is hot and dry, and there is much fever present, in- 
dicated by a quick pulse and dry muzzle, then bathe the 
whole surface with weak saleratus water, sufficiently warm 
to relax the external surface. The following fever drink may 
be given daily until rumination again commences : — 

Lemon balm, 2 ounces. 

Cream of tartar, 1 ounce. 

Honey, 1 gill. 

Water, 2 quarts. 

First pour the boiling water on the balm ; after standing a 
few minutes, strain ; then -add the above ingredients. 
17 



130 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



JAUNDICE, OR YELLOWS. 

This disease is well known to every farmer ; the yellow 
appearance of the skin, mouth, eyes, and saliva at once betray 
its presence. It consists in the absorption of unchanged bile 
into the circulation, which bile becomes diffused, giving rise 
to the yellow appearances. 

In the treatment of jaundice, we first give a dose of physic, 
(see Appendix,) and assist its operation by injections of weak 
lie, made from wood ashes. The animal may roam about in 
the barn-yard, if the weather will permit ; or rub the external 
surface briskly with a wisp or brush, which will answer the 
same purpose. The following may be given in one dose, and 
repeated every day, or every other day, as the symptoms may 
require : — 

Powdered golden seal, (hydrastus > ^ t , _ 

6 , . ; M table-spoonful. 

canadensis,) > r 

" slippery elm, .... 2 ounces. 

Water sufficient to make it of the consistence of gruel. 

Should a diarrhoea set in, it ought not to occasion alarm, 
but may be considered as an effort of nature to rid the system. 
of morbific matter. It will be prudent, however, to watch 
the animal, and if the strength and condition fail, then add to 
the last prescription a small quantity of powdered gentian 
and caraway seeds. 

There are various forms of disease in the liver, yet the 
treatment will not differ much from that of the last-named 
disease. There is no such thing as a medicine for a particu- 
lar symptom, in one form of disease, that is not equally good 
for the same symptom in every form. In short, there is no 
such thing as a specific. Any medicine that will promote 
the healthy action of the liver in one form of jaundice will 
be equally good for the same purpose in another form of that 
disease. 

Mr. Youatt states, " There are few diseases to which cattle 



JAUNDICE, OR YELLOWS. 131 

are so frequently subject, or which are so difficult to treat, as 
jaundice, or yellows." Hence it is important that the farmer 
should know how and in what manner the disease may be 
prevented. And he will succeed best who understands the 
causes, which often exist in overworking the stomach, with 
a desire to fatten. Men who raise cattle for the market often 
attempt to get them in fine condition and flesh, without any 
regard to the state of the digestive organs, the liver included : 
for the bile which the latter secretes is absolutely necessary 
for the perfection of the digestive process. They do not 
take into consideration the state of the animals' health, the 
climate, the quality of food, and the quantity best adapted to 
the digestive powers ; and what is of still greater importance, 
and too often overlooked, is, that all animals should be fed at 
regular intervals. Some men suppose that so long as their 
cattle shall have good food, without any regard to quantity, 
— if they eat all day long, and cram their paunch to its 
utmost capacity, — they must fatten ; when, in fact, too much 
food deranges the whole digestive apparatus. As soon as the 
paunch and stomach are overloaded, they press on the liver, 
interfering with the bile-secreting process, producing conges- 
tion and disorganization. 

Diseases of the liver may be produced by any thing that 
will for a time suspend the process of rumination : the known 
sympathy that exists between the stomach and liver explains 
this fact. 

Digestion, like every other vital process, requires a concen- 
tration of power to accomplish it : now, if an ox should have 
a bountiful meal, and then be driven several miles, the process 
of digestion, during the journey, will be partly suspended. 
The act of compelling an ox to rise, or annoying him in any 
way, will immediately suspend rumination, which may result 
in an acute disease of the liver. In most cases, however, 
the stomach is primarily affected 

Dealers in cattle often overfeed the animals they are about 
to dispose of, in order to improve their external appearance, 
and increase their own profits : the consequence is, that such 



132 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

animals are in a state of plethora, and are liable at any mo- 
ment to be attacked with congestion of the liver or brain. 

Again. If oxen are driven a long journey, and then turned 
into a pasture abounding in highly nutritious grasses or clo- 
ver, to which they are unaccustomed, they fill the paunch to 
such an extent that it becomes a matter of impossibility on 
the part of the animal to throw it up for rumination ; this 
mass of food, being submitted to the combined action of heat 
and moisture, undergoes fermentation ; carbonic acid gas is 
evolved; the animal is then said to be " blown," " hoven," 
or "blasted." Post mortem examination, in such cases, re- 
veals a highly-congested state of the liver and spleen. 

In fattening cattle, the injury done to the organs of diges- 
tion is not always observed in the early stages ; for the vital 
power, which wages a warfare against all encroachments, 
endeavors to accommodate itself to the increased bulk ; yet, by 
continuing to give an excess of diet, it finally yields up the 
citadel to the insidious foe. Chemical action then overpow- 
ers the vital, and disease is the result. 

Thousands of valuable cattle are yearly destroyed by being 
too well, or, rather, injudiciously fed. Many diseases of the 
liver and digestive organs result from feeding on unwhole- 
some, innutritious, and hard, indigestible food. Bad water, 
and suffering the animal to partake too bountifully of cold 
water when heated and fatigued, are among the direct causes 
of disease. 



DISEASES OF THE MUCOUS SURFACE. 

The mucous membrane is a duplicature of the skin, and is 
folded into the external orifices of the animal, as the mouth, 
ears, nose, lungs, stomach, intestines, and bladder ; but not 
being so much exposed to the action of external agents, it is 
not so strong or thick as the skin. It performs, however, 
nearly the same office as the skin. If the action of one is 



DISEASES OF THE MUCOUS SURFACE. 133 

suppressed, the other immediately commences the perform- 
ance of its office. Thus a common cold, which collapses the 
skin, immediately stops insensible perspiration, which recedes 
to the mucous membrane, producing a discharge from the nose, 
eyes, bowels, &c. So, when great derangement of the mucous 
membrane exists, debilitating perspiration succeeds. In the 
treatment of diseases of the mucous membrane, we endeavor 
to remove the irritating causes from the organs affected, re- 
store the general tone of the system, and invite action to the 
external surface. 

CATARRH, OR HOOSE. 

This disease often arises from exposure to wet or cold 
weather, and from the food being of a bad quality, or defi- 
cient in quantity. If the animal is enfeebled by poor feed, 
old age, or any other cause, then there is very little resistance 
offered against the encroachments of disease : hence young 
beasts and cows after calving are often the victims. 

Treatment. — It is necessary to attend to this disorder as 
soon as it makes its appearance ; for a common cold, neg- 
lected, often lays the foundation of consumption. On the 
other hand, a little attention in the early stages, and before 
sympathetic action sets in, would set all right. The first in- 
dication to be fulfilled is to invite action to the surface by 
friction and counter-irritants. The following liniment may 
be applied to the feet and throat : — 

Olive oil, 4 ounces. 

Oil of cedar, 1 ounce. 

Liquid ammonia, half an ounce. 

Rub the mixture in well ; then give 

Gruel, 1 quart. 

Powdered licorice, 1 ounce. 

Composition, , half a tea-spoonful. 

Give this at a dose, and repeat two or three times during the 



134 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

twenty-four hours. A drink of any warm aromatic tea, such 
as pennyroyal, hyssop, catnip or aniseed will have a good 
effect. The diet should consist of scalded meal, boiled car- 
rots, flaxseed, or any substance that is light and easy of diges- 
tion. Should the discharge increase and the eyelids swell, 
recourse must be had to vapor, which may be raised by pour- 
ing vinegar on a hot brick j the latter held, with a pair of 
tongs, beneath the animal's nose, at the same time covering 
the head with a blanket. A small quantity of bayberry bark 
may occasionally be blown up the nostrils from a quill. It is 
very important, during the treatment, that the animal be in a 
warm situation, with a good bed of straw to rest on. If the 
glands under the jaw enlarge, the following mixture should 
be rubbed about the throat : — 

Neat's foot oil, 4 ounces. 

Hot drops, ......... 2 ounces. 

Vinegar, 1 gill. 

If the disease assumes a chronic form, and the animal is 
evidently losing flesh, then give the following : - — 

Golden seal, powdered, ... 1 table-spoonful. 
Caraway seeds, " ... 1 " 

Divide into three parts ; which may be given daily, (in thin 
gruel,) until the animal is convalescent. 



EPIDEMIC CATARRH. 

This often prevails at particular seasons, and spreads over 
whole districts, sometimes destroying a great number of cat- 
tle. It is a disorder whose intensity varies considerably, being 
sometimes attended with a high grade of fever, at other times 
quickly followed by general debility. 

Treatment. — This requires the same treatment as the last- 
named disease, but only more thoroughly and perseveringly 
applied ; for every portion of the system seems to be affected, 



DISEASES OF THE MUCOUS SURFACE. 135 

either through sympathetic action or from the absorption of 
morbid matter. Hence we must aid the vital power to main- 
tain her empire and resist the encroachments on her sanative 
operations by the use of antispetics and stimulants. The 
following is a good example : — 

Powdered charcoal, 1 ounce. 

" bay berry bark, .... half an ounce. 

" pleurisy root, .... 1 ounce. 

Honey, 1 table-spoonful. 

Thin gruel, 1 quart. 



MALIGNANT EPIDEMIC, (Murrain.) 

This disease has been more or less destructive from the time 
of Pharaoh up to the present period. For information on the 
origin, progress, and termination of this malignant distemper, 
the reader is referred to Mr. Youatt's work on cattle. 

Treatment. — The indications to be fulfilled are, first, to 
preserve the system from putrescence, which can be done by 
the use of the following drink : — 

Powdered capsicum, .... 1 tea-spoonful. 

" charcoal, .... 2 ounces. 

Lime water, 4 ounces. 

Sulphur, 1 tea-spoonful. 

Add to the capsicum, charcoal, and sulphur, a small quantity 
of gruel; lastly, add the lime water. A second and similar 
dose may be given six hours after the first, provided, how- 
ever, the symptoms are not so alarming. 

The next indication is, to break down the morbid action 
of the nervous and vascular systems ; for which the following 
may be given freely : — 

Thoroughwort tea, 2 quarts. 

Powdered assafoetida, .... 2 drachms. 



136 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Aid the action of these remedies by the use of one of the 
following injections : — 

Powdered lobelia, ...... 2 ounces. 

Oil of peppermint, ...... 20 drops. 

Warm water, . 2 quarts. 

Another. 

Infusion of camomile, .:■'.. . . 2 quarts. 
Common salt, 4 ounces. 

In all cases of putrid or malignant fever, efforts should be 
made to supply the system with caloric, (by the aid of stimu- 
lants,) promote the secretions, and rid the system of morbific 
materials. 

DIAHRHCEA, (Looseness op the Bowels.) 

In the early stages of this disease, it is not always to be 
checked. It is often a salutary operation of nature to rid the 
system of morbific materials, and all that we can do with 
safety is, to sheathe and lubricate the mucous surfaces, in 
order to protect them from the acrid and stimulating proper- 
ties of the agents to be removed from the alimentary canal. 

When the disease, of which diarrhoea is only a symptom, 
proceeds from exposure, apply warmth, moisture, friction, and 
stimulants to the external surface, aided by the following lu- 
bricant : — 

Powdered slippery elm, .... 1 ounce. 

" charcoal, 1 table-spoonful. 

Boiling water, 2 quarts. 

Common starch, or flour, may be substituted for slippery elm. 
The mixture should be given in pint doses, at intervals of two 
hours. When the fecal discharges appear more natural and 
less frequent, a tea of raspberry leaves or bayberry bark will 
complete the cure. 

When the disease assumes a chronic form, and the animal 



DISEASES OF THE MUCOUS SURFACE. 137 

loses flesh, the following tonic, stimulating, astringent drink 
is recommended : — 

Infusion of camomile, 1 quart. 

Powdered caraway seeds, .... 1 ounce. 
Bayberry, powdered, half an ounce. 

Mix for one dose. 

Remarks. — In the treatment of this disease, it is necessary 
for the farmer to know, that through the instrumentality of 
the nervous structure, there is constantly a sympathy kept up 
between the different parts of the animal ; whenever any part 
is affected, the corresponding part feels the influence. Thus 
the external surface is opposed to the internal, so that, if the 
function of the former be diminished, or excessive, or sus- 
pended, that of the latter will soon become deranged ; and 
the restoration of the lost function is the only true way to 
effect a cure. For example, if an animal be suffered to feed 
in wet lands, the feet and external surface become cold ; and 
hence diarrhoea, catarrh, garget, dysentery, &c. If the cir- 
culation of the blood is obstructed by exposure, we should 
restore the lost function by rubbing the surface, and by the 
application of warmth and moisture. If the animal is in poor 
condition, and there is not enough vitality to equalize the cir- 
culation, give warm arrti-spasmodics. (See Appendix.) In 
cases where diarrhoea results from a want of power in the di- 
gestive organs to assimilate the food, the latter acts on the 
mucous surfaces as a mechanical irritant, producing inflam- 
mation, &c. Inflammation is the concentration of the avail- 
able vital force too much upon a small region of the body, 
and it is invited there by irritation. Now, instead of the 
popular error, — -bleeding and purging, — the most rational 
way to proceed is, to remove the cause of irritation, (no 
matter whether the stomach or bowels are involved,) and 
invite the blood to the surface by means already alluded to, 
and distribute it over the general system, so that it will 
not be in excess any where. There is generally but little 
18 



138 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

difficulty in producing an equilibrium of action ; the great 
point is to sustain it. When the blood accumulates in a 
part, as in inflammation of the bowels, the sensibility of the 
part is so highly exalted that the least irritation causes a re- 
lapse ; therefore the general treatment must not be abandoned 
too early. 

DYSENTERY. 

The disease is generally ushered in with some degree of 
fever ; as, trembling, hot and cold stages, dryness of the 
mouth, loss of appetite, general prostration, drooping of the 
head and ears, heaving of the flanks ; there are frequent stools, 
yet these seldom consist of natural excrement, but are of a 
viscid, mucous character ; the animal is evidently in pain dur- 
ing these discharges, and sometimes the fundament appears 
excoriated. 

Causes. — The cause of this complaint appears to be, gen- 
erally, exposure. Dr. White says, " Almost all the diseases 
of cattle arise either from exposure to wet or cold weather, 
from their food being of a bad quality, or deficient in quan- 
tity, or from the animal being changed too suddenly from 
poor, unwholesome keep to rich pasture. It is necessary to 
observe, also, that the animal is more liable to be injured by 
exposure to wet and cold, when previously enfeebled by bad 
keep, old age, or any other cause ; and particularly when 
brought from a mild into a cold situation. I have scarcely 
met with a disease that is not attributable to a chill." 

Treatment. — This must be much the same as in diarrhoea 
— sheathing the mucous membrane, and inviting action to the 
surface. The animal must be warmly housed, well littered, 
and the extremities clothed with flannel bandages. The diet 
must consist of flour gruel, scalded meal. Raspberry tea will 
be the most suitable drink. Much can be done by good nurs- 
ing. Mr. Ellman says, " If any of my cattle get into a low, 



DISEASES OF THE MUCOUS SURFACE. 139 

weak state, I generally recommend nursing, which, in most 
cases, is much better than a doctor ; [meaning some of the 
poor specimens always to be found in large cities :] having 
often seen the beast much weakened, and the stomach re- 
laxed, by throwing in a quantity of medicine injudiciously, 
and the animal lost ; when, with good nursing, in all proba- 
bility, it might have been otherwise." 

SCOURING ROT. 
Cause. — Any thing that can reduce the vital energies. 

Symptoms. — A gradual loss of flesh, although the animal 
often feeds well and ruminates. The excrements are of a 
dark color, frothy, and fetid, and, in the latter stages, appear 
to be only half digested. There are many symptoms and 
different degrees of intensity, during the progress of this dis- 
ease, which indicate the amount of destruction going on ; yet 
the author considers them unimportant in a practical point of 
view, at least as far as the treatment is concerned ; for the 
disease is so analogous to dysentery, that the same indications 
are to be fulfilled in both ; more care, however, should be 
taken to prevent and subdue mortification. 

In addition to the treatment recommended in article Malig- 
nant Epidemic, the following injection may be substituted 
for the one prescribed under that head : — 

Powdered charcoal, a tea-cupful. 

Common salt, 2 ounces. 

Pyrol igneous acid,* half a wine-glass. 

Warm water, 2 quarts. 

Throw one quart of the above into the rectum, and the 
remainder six hours after the first. 

* Vinegar obtained from wood. 



140 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



DISEASE OF THE EAR. 

Diseases of the ear are very rare in cattle ; yet, as simple 
inflammatory action does now and then occur, it is well that 
the farmer should be able to recognize and treat it. 

Symptoms. — An unnatural heat and tenderness about the 
base of the ear, and the animal carries the head on one side. 

Cure. — Fomentations of marshmallows ; a light diet of 
scalded shorts ; an occasional drink of thorough wort tea. 
These with a little rest, in a comfortable barn, will perfect 
the cure. 

Remarks. —If any irritating substance is suspected to 
have fallen into the ear, efforts must be made to remove it : 
if it cannot be got at, a small quantity of olive oil may be 
poured into the cavity ; then, by rotating the head, with the 
affected ear downwards, the substances will often pass out. 



SEROUS MEMBRANES. 

These membranes derive their name from the serous or 
watery fluid they secrete, by which their surface is con- 
stantly moistened. They are to be found in the three cavi- 
ties of the chest ; namely, one on each side, containing the 
right and left lung, and the intermediate cavity, occupied by 
the heart. The portion of the membrane lining the lungs is 
named the pleura, and that lining and covering the heart is 
called the pericardium. The membrane lining the abdomen 
is named the 'peritoneum. The ventricles of the brain are 
also lined by this membrane. The serous membranes, after 
lining their respective cavities, are extended still farther, by 



DROPSY. 141 

being reflected back upon the organs enclosed in their cavi- 
ties ; hence, if it were possible to dissect these membranes 
from off the parts which they invest, they would have the 
appearance of a sac without an opening. In the natural 
state, these membranes are exceedingly thin and transparent ; 
but they become thickened by disease, and lose their trans- 
parency. The excessive discharge of fluids into cavities 
lined by these membranes constitutes the different forms of 
dropsy, on which we shall now treat. 



DROPSY. 



This disease consists in the accumulation of fluid in a cav- 
ity of the body, as the abdomen or belly, the chest, and ven- 
tricles of the brain, or in the cellular membrane under the 
skin. As the treatment of the several forms of dropsy re- 
quires that the same indications shall be fulfilled, — viz., to 
equalize the circulation, invite action to the surface, promote 
absorption, and invigorate the general system, — so it matters 
but little whether the effusion takes place under the skin, 
producing anasarca, or within the chest or abdomen. The 
popular treatment, which comprehends blood-letting, phys- 
icking, and the use of powerful diuretics, has proved no- 
toriously unsuccessful. Blood-letting is charged as one of the 
direct causes of dropsy : how then can it be expected that a 
system that will produce this form of disease can ever cure 
it ? In reference to physicking, if the bowels are forced to 
remove the excess of fluids in a short time, they become 
much exhausted, lose their tone, and do not recover their 
healthy power for some time. Dr. Curtis says, " May we not 
give diuretics and drastic cathartics in dropsy ? I answer, if 
you do, and carry off the fluids of the body in those direc- 
tions, as you sometimes may, you have not always removed the 



142 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

cause of the disease, which was the closing of the surface, or 
stoppage of some natural secretion, while you have rendered 
the patient liable to other forms of disease, quite as much 
to be dreaded as the dropsy which was exchanged for it." 
Mild diuretic medicines may, however, be given, provided 
attention be paid at the same time to the lungs and external 
surface. The kidneys, lungs, and external surface constitute 
the great outlets through which the excess of fluids finds 
egress ; and if one of these functions be excited to dislodge 
an accumulation of fluid, without the cooperation of the rest, 
the excessive action is sure to injure the organ ; hence it is 
an injurious practice, and ought to be rejected. 

Causes. — Dropsy will occasionally be produced by the 
sudden stopping of any evacuation ; for example, if a diar- 
rhoea be checked too suddenly, it frequently results in dropsy 
of the belly. In pleurisy, and when blood-letting has been 
practised to any extent, dropsy of the chest will be the con- 
sequence. Exposure, poor diet, diseases of the liver and 
spleen, want of exercise, and poisonous medicines are among 
the general causes of dropsy. 

Treatment. — It is a law of the animal economy that all 
fluids are determined to those surfaces from which they can 
most readily escape. Now, instead of cramming down nau- 
seous and poisonous drugs, with a view of carrying off the 
fluid by the kidneys, we should restore the lost function 
of the external exhalents, by warmth, moisture, friction, and 
the application of stimulating embrocations to the general 
surface. The following embrocation may be applied to the 
spine, ears, belly, and legs : — 

Oil of cedar, * . . . 1 ounce. 

Oil of juniper, 1 ounce. 

Soft soap, 1 pound. 

A portion of the above should be rubbed in twice a day. 



DROPSY. 143 

The best medicine is the following : — 

Powdered mandrake, . . . . . 1 ounce. 

" lobelia, ...... 1 ounce. 

Poplar bark, . 2 ounces. 

Lemon balm, 4 ounces. 

Boiling water, 3 quarts. 



Let the whole stand in a covered vessel for an hour ; then 
strain, and add a gill of honey. Give half a pint every third 
hour. If the animal be in poor condition, the diet must be 
nourishing and easy of digestion. Flour gruel and scalded 
meal will be the most appropriate. A drink made by steep- 
ing cleavers, or hyssop, in boiling water may be given at 
discretion. 

If there is not sufficient vitality in the system to equalize 
the circulation, (which may be known by the surface and 
extremities still continuing cold,) the following drink will be 
found efficacious : — 

Hyssop tea, 2 quarts. 

Powdered cayenne, (African,) . 1 tea-spoonful. 
" licorice, 1 ounce. 

Mix. To be given at a dose, and repeated if necessary. 
Should inflammatory symptoms make their appearance, omit 
the cayenne, and substitute the same quantity of cream of 
tartar. 

The treatment of all the different forms of dropsy is upon 
the plan here laid down. They are one and the same dis- 
ease, only located in different parts ; and from predisposing 
causes the fluid is sometimes found in the thorax, at others 
in the abdomen. Whenever costiveness occurs in dropsy, the 
following laxative may be given : — 

Wormwood, 2 ounces. 

Boiling water, .2 quarts. 

Set them over the fire, and let them boil for a few mo- 
ments ; then add two ounces of castile soap and a gill of 
molasses or honey. The whole to be given at one dose. 



144 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

The operation of tapping has been performed, but with 
very little success ; for, unless the function of the skin be 
restored, the water will again accumulate. If, however, the 
disease shall be treated according to the principles here laid 
down, there is no good reason why the operation should not 
prove successful. It maybe performed for dropsy of the 
belly in the following manner : Take a common trocar and 
canula, and after pinching upwards a fold of the skin, about 
three inches from the line, (linea alba,) or centre of the belly, 
and about seven from the udder, push the trocar through the 
skin, muscles. &c, into the abdominal cavity; withdraw the 
trocar, and the water will flow. The operation is usually 
performed on the right side, taking care, however, not to 
wound the milk vein, or artery. 



HOOVE, OR "BLASTING." 

When cattle or sheep are first turned into luxuriant pas- 
ture, after being poorly fed, or laboring under any derange- 
ment of the digestive organs, they are apt to be hoven, blown, 
or blasted. 

Treatment. — Should the symptoms be very alarming, a 
flexible tube may be passed down the gullet. This will gen- 
erally allow a portion of gas to escape, and thus afford tem- 
porary relief, until more efficient means are resorted to. 
These consist in arousing the digestive organs to action, by 
the following stimulant and carminative drink : — 

Cardamom seeds, .... 1 ounce. 

Fennel seeds, . . . . " . 1 ounce. 

Powdered charcoal, ... 1 table-spoonful. 

Boiling water, 2 quarts. 

Let the mixture stand until sufficiently cool ; then strain, 
and administer in pint doses, every ten minutes. 



HOOVE, OR " BLASTING." 145 

The following clyster should be given : — 

Powdered lobelia, ..... 2 ounces. 
" charcoal, .... 6 ounces. 

Common salt, 1 table-spoonful. 

Boiling water, 2 quarts. 

When cool, strain, and inject. 

If the animal is only blasted in a moderate degree, this 
treatment will generally prove successful. Some practition- 
ers recommend puncturing the rumen or paunch ; but there is 
always great danger attending it, and at best it is only a pal- 
liative : the process of fermentation will continue while the 
materials still remain in the paunch. Some cattle doctors 
make a large incision into the paunch, and shovel out the 
contents with the hand ; but the remedy is quite as bad as 
the disease. For example, Mr. Youatt tells us that "a cow 
had eaten a large quantity of food, and was hoven. A neigh- 
bor, who was supposed to know a great deal about cattle, 
made an incision into the paunch ; the gas escaped, a great 
portion of the food was removed with the hand, and the ani- 
mal appeared to be considerably relieved ; but rumination did 
not return. On the following day, the animal was dull ; she 
refused her food, but was eager to drink. She became worse 
and worse, and on the sixth day she died." 

In all dangerous cases of hoove, we must not forget that 
our remedies may be aided by the external application of 
warmth and moisture ; flannels wrung out in hot water should 
be secured to the belly ; at the same time, the legs and bris- 
ket should be rubbed with tincture of assafoetida. These 
remedies must be repeated until the animal is relieved. 
Steady and long-continued perseverance in rubbing the ab- 
domen often succeeds in liberating the gas. If the animal 
recovers, he should be fed, very sparingly, on scalded food, 
consisting of equal parts of meal and shorts, with the addi- 
tion of a few grains of caraway seeds. A drink composed 
of the following ingredients will aid in rapidly restoring the 
animal to health : — 
19 



146 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Marshmallows, ....... 2 ounces. 

Linseed, 1 ounce. 

Boiling water, 2 quarts. 

Set the mixture near the fire, and allow it to macerate for 
a short time ; after straining through a sieve or coarse cloth, 
it may be given and repeated at discretion. 

Remarks. — As prevention is much more convenient and 
less expensive than the fashionable system of making a chem- 
ical laboratory of the poor brute's stomach, the author would 
remind owners of stock that the practice of turning the latter, 
into green, succulent pasture when the ground is damp, or 
permitting them to remain exposed to the night air, is among 
the direct causes of hoove. The ox and many other animals 
are governed by the same laws of nature to which man owes 
allegiance, and any departure from the legitimate teachings, 
as they are fundamentally ingrafted in the animate kingdom 
by the Omnipotent Creator, is sure to subject us to the pen- 
alty. We are told that, during the night, noxious gases and 
poisonous miasmata emanate from the soil, and that plants 
throw off excrementitious matters, which assume a gaseous 
form, and are more or less destructive. Now, these animals 
have no better powers of resisting the encroachments on their 
organization (through the agency of these deleterious gases) 
than we have ; they must have atmospheric air to vitalize 
the blood ; any impurity in the air they breathe must impair 
their health. Still, however, the powers of resistance are 
greater in some than in others ; this explains the reason why 
all do not suffer. Sometimes, the gases are not in sufficient 
quantities to produce instant death, but only derange the general 
health ; yet if an animal be turned into a pasture, the herb- 
age and soil of which give out an excess of nitrogen and 
carbonic acid, the animal will die ; just as a man will, if you 
lower him into a well abounding in either of these destructive 
agents. From these brief remarks, the farmer will see the 
importance of housing domestic animals at night. 



JOINT MURRAIN. 147 



JOINT MURRAIN. 

This malady, in its early stages, assumes different forms • 
sometimes making its appearance under a high grade of vital 
action, commonly called inflammatory fever, and known by 
the red appearance of the sclerotica, (white of the eye,) hur- 
ried breathing, expanded nostrils, hot tongue, and dry muzzle, 
pulse full and bounding, manifestations of pain, &c. &c. Dif- 
ferent animals show, according to local or constitutional pecu- 
liarities, different symptoms. 

This disease, in consequence of its assuming different forms 
during its progress, has a host of names applied to it, which 
rather embarrass than assist the farmer. We admit that there 
are numerous tissues to be obstructed ; and if the disease were 
named from the tissue, it would have as many names as there 
are tissues. If it were named from the location, which often 
happens, then we get as many names as there are locations ; 
for example, horn ail, black leg, quarter evil, joint murrain, 
foot rot, &c. In the above disease, the whole system par- 
takes more or less of constitutional disturbance ; therefore it 
is of no use, except when we want to avail ourselves of local 
applications, to decide what particular muscle, blood-vessel, 
or nerve is involved, seeing, that the only rational treatment 
consists in acting on all the nerves, blood-vessels, and muscles, 
and that this can only be accomplished through the healthy 
operations of nature's secreting and excreting processes. The 
indications of cure, according to the reformed principles, are, 
to relax spasm, as in locked-jaw, stoppages of the bladder or 
intestines, obstructed surfaces, &c. ; to contract and strengthen 
weak and relaxed organs, as in general or local debility, diar- 
rhoea, scouring, lampas, &c. ; to stimulate inactive parts, as in 
black leg, joint murrain, quarter ill, foot rot ; to equalize the 
circulation, and distribute the blood to the external surface and 
extremities, as in congestions j to furnish the animal with 
sufficient nutriment for its growth and development. No 
matter what the nature of disease may be, the treatment 
should be conducted on these principles. 



148 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

The farmer will overcome a host of obstacles, that might 
otherwise fall in his way, in the treatment of joint murrain, 
when he learns that this malady, together with black leg, quar- 
ter ill or evil, black quarter, and dry gangrene are all analo- 
gous : by the different names are meant their grades. In the 
early or mild forms, it consists of congestion in the veins or 
venous radicles, and effusions into the cellular tissue. When 
chemical action overpowers the vital, decomposition sets in ; 
it then assumes a putrid type ; mortification, or a destruction 
of organic integrity, is the result. 

Causes. — Its proximate causes exist in any thing that can 
for a time interrupt the free and full play of any part of the 
vital machinery. Its direct cause may be found in over-feed- 
ing, miasma, exposure, poisonous plants, poor diet, &c. The 
milk of diseased cows is a frequent cause of black leg in young 
calves. The reason why the disease is more likely to mani- 
fest itself in the legs is, because they are more exposed, by 
the feet coming in contact with damp ground, and because 
the blood has a kind of up-hill work to perform. 

Treatment. — In the early stages of joint murrain and its 
kindred maladies, if inflammatory fever is present, the first 
aud most important step is to relax the external surface, as 
directed in article Pneumonia, p. 107. Should the animal be 
in a situation where it is not convenient to do so, give the 
following anti-spasmodic : — 

Thoroughwort, ........ 1 ounce. 

Lemon balm, 2 ounces. 

Garlic, bruised, a few kernels. 

Boiling water, 3 quarts. 

Allow the infusion to stand until cool j then strain, and give 
it a dose. 

If the bowels are constipated, inject the following : — 

Soft soap, half a pint. 

Warm water, 2 quarts. 



JOINT MURRAIN. 149 

Rub the joints with the following embrocation : — 

Oil of cedar, } 

Fir balsam, £ equal parts. 

Keep the animal on warm, bland teas, such as catnip, pen- 
nyroyal, lemon balm, and a light diet of powdered slippery elm 
gruel. 



BLACK QUARTER 



Symptoms. — Rapid decomposition, known by the pain 
which the slightest pressure gives the animal. Carbonic acid 
gas is evolved from the semi-putrid state of the system, which 
finds its way into the cellular tissue, beneath the skin. A 
crackling noise can then be heard and felt by pressing the 
finger on the hide. 

Causes. — Among the chief causes are the blood-letting 
and scouring systems recommended by writers on cattle doc- 
toring. In the inflammatory stage, we are told, " The first 
and most important step is copious bleeding. As much blood 
must be taken as the animal will bear to lose ; and the stream 
must flow on until the beast staggers or threatens to fall. 
Here, more than in any other disease, there must be no fool- 
ish directions about quantities. [The heroic practice /] As 
much blood must be taken away as can be got ; for it is only 
by the bold and persevering use of the lancet that a malady 
can be subdued that runs its course so rapidly." (See Youatt, 
p. 359.) From these directions we are led to suppose that 
there are some hopes of bleeding the animal to life ; for the 
author above quoted seems to entertain no apprehension of 
bleeding the animal to death. Mr. Percival and other veteri- 
nary writers inform us, that " an animal will lose about one 
fifteenth part of its weight of blood before it dies ; though a 
less quantity may so far debilitate the vital powers, as to be, 
though less suddenly, equally fatal." The latter portion of 



150 



AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



the sentence means simply this ; that if the bleeding does not 
give the animal its quietus on the spot, it will produce black 
quarter, gangrene, &c, which will be " equally fatal." In 
the latter stages of the disease now under consideration, and, 
indeed, in dry gangrene, there is a tendency to the complete 
destruction of life to the parts involved : hence our remedies 
should be in harmony with the vital operations. We should 
relax, stimulate, and cleanse the whole system, and arouse 
every part to healthy action, by the aid of vapor, injections, 
stimulating applications, poultices of charcoal and capsicum, 
to parts where there is danger of rapid mortification ; lastly, 
stimulating drinks to vitalize the blood, which only requires 
distribution, instead of abstraction. 

In reference to the scouring system, (purging,) as a cause 
of mortification, we leave the reader to form his own views, 
after reading the following : u After abstracting as much blood 
as can be got away, purging must immediately follow. A 
pound and a half of Epsom salts dissolved in water or gruel, 
and poured down the throat as gently as possible, should be 
our first dose. If this does not operate in the course of six 
hours, another pound should be given ; and after that, half 
pound doses every six hours until the effect is produced " ! ! — 
Youatt, p. 359. 

Treatment. — As the natural tendency of these different 
maladies is the complete destruction of life to all parts of the 
organization, efforts must be made to depurate the whole ani- 
mal, and arouse every part to healthy action in the manner 
recommended under article Joint Murrain. Antiseptics may 
be freely used in the following form : — 

Powdered bayberry bark, . . . . 2 ounces. 

" charcoal, ...... 6 ounces. 

" cayenne, ...... 1 tea-spoonful. 

" slippery elm, .... 1 ounce. 

Add boiling water sufficient to make it of the consistence of 
thin gruel. 



OPEN JOINT. 151 

All sores and foul ulcers may be washed with 

Pyroligneous acid, ...... 1 ounce. 

Water, 1 gill. 

Another. 

Chloride of lime, ....... 1 ounce. 

Water, 1 pint. 

Another. 

Chloride of soda, 1 ounce. 

Water, 6 ounces. 

The affected parts should be often bathed with one of these 
washes. If the disease is not arrested by these means, repeat 
them, and put the animal on a diet of flour gruel. 



OPEN JOINT. 



Joints are liable to external injury from wounds or bruises, 
and, although a joint may not be open in the first instance, 
subsequent sloughing may expose its cavity. The ordinary 
effects of disease in membranes covering joints are, a profuse 
discharge of joint oil, (synovia,) and a thickening of the syno- 
vial membrane. Sometimes the joint is cemented together ; 
it is then termed anchylosis. 

Treatment. — The first object is, to promote adhesion, by 
bringing the edges of the wound together, and confining them 
in contact by stitches. A pledget of lint or linen, previously 
moistened with tincture of myrrh, should then be bound on 
with a bandage forming a figure 8 around the joint. If the 
parts feel hot and appear inflamed, apply a bandage, which 
may be kept constantly wet with cold water. If adhesion of 
the parts does not take place, apply the following : — 

Powdered bayberry bark, 1 ounce. 



152 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Fir balsam, sufficient to form a thick, tenacious mass, which 
may be spread thickly over the wound ; lastly, a bandage. 
Should a fetid discharge take place, poultice with 

Powdered charcoal, > , 

> equal parts. 
" bayberry, > 

In cases where the nature of the injury will not admit of 
the wounded edges being kept in contact, and a large sur- 
face is exposed, we must promote granulation by keeping the 
parts clean, and by the daily application of fir balsam. Un- 
healthy granulations may be kept down by touching them 
with burnt alum, or sprinkling on their surface powdered 
bloodroot. The author has treated several cases, in which 
there was no hope of healing by the first intention, by the 
daily use of tincture of capsicum, together with tonic, stimu- 
lating, astringent, antiseptic poultices and fomentations, as the 
case seemed to require, and they always terminated favorably. 
In all cases of injury to joints, rest and a light diet are indis- 
pensable. 



SWELLINGS OF JOINTS. 

Swellings frequently arise from bruises and strains ; they 
are sometimes, however, connected with a rheumatic affec- 
tion, caused by cold, exposure to rain, or turning an animal 
into wet pasture lands after active exercise. In the acute stage, 
known by tenderness, unnatural heat, and lameness, the animal 
should be put on a light diet of scalded shorts, &c. ; the parts 
to be frequently bathed with cold water ; and, if practicable, 
a bandage may be passed around the limb, and kept moist 
with the same. If the part still continues painful, take four 
ounces of arnica flowers, moisten them with boiling water, 
when cool, bind them around the part, and let them remain 
twenty-four hours. This seldom fails. On the other hand, 
should the parts be in a chronic state, which may be recog- 



SPRAIN OF THE FETLOCK. 153 

nized by inactivity, coldness, &c, then the following embro- 
cation will restore the lost tone : — 

Oil of wormwood, 1 ounce. 

" " cedar, 1 ounce. 

Hot drops, 4 ounces. 

Vinegar, 1 pint. 

Mix, and rub the part faithfully night and morning. Fric- 
tion with the hand or a brush will materially assist to cure. 
In all cases where suppuration has commenced, and matter 
can be distinctly felt, the sooner the following poultice shall 
be applied, the better : — 

Powdered slippery elm, . . ) 

,. i /* ecjual parts. 

" linseed, .... > 

Boiling water sufficient to moisten ; then add a wine-glass 
of vinegar. 

To be renewed every twelve hours, until the matter escapes. 



SPRAIN OF THE FETLOCK. 

Sprain, or strain, as it is commonly termed, sometimes 
arises from violent exertions ; at other times, by the animal 
unexpectedly treading on some uneven surface. 

Treatment. — First wash the foot clean, then carefully ex- 
amine the cleft, and remove any substance that may have 
lodged there. A cotton bandage folded around the claws 
and continued above the fetlock, kept wet with the following 
lotion, will speedily reduce any excess of inflammatory action 
that may exist : — 

Acetic acid, 1 ounce. 

Water, 1 pint. 

20 



154 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Another. 

Vinegar, 1 pint. 

Water, 3 pints. 



STRAIN OF THE HIP. 



This may sometimes occur in working oxen. Rest is the 
principal remedy. The part may, however, be bathed daily 
with the following : — 

Wormwood, 4 ounces. 

Scalding vinegar, 2 quarts. 

The liquor must be applied cold. 

Strain of the knees or shoulder may be treated in the 
same manner as above. 



FOUL IN THE FOOT. 



A great deal of learned nonsense has been written on this 
subject, which only serves to plunge the farmer into a laby- 
rinth from which there is no escape. The author will not 
trespass on the reader's patience so much as to transcribe dif- 
ferent authors' opinions in relation to the nature of the dis- 
ease and its treatment, but will proceed at once to point out a 
common-sense explanation of its cause, and the proper mode 
of treating it. 

The disease is analogous to foot rot in sheep, and is the 
consequence of feeding in wet pastures, or suffering the ani- 
mals to wallow in filth. A large quantity of morbific or ex- 
crementitious matter is thrown off from the system through 
the surfaces between the cleft. Now, should those surfaces 



FOUL IN THE FOOT. 155 

be obstructed by filth, or contracted by cold, the delicate 
mouths of these excrementitious vessels, or outlets, are una- 
ble to rid the parts of their morbid accumulations : these ves- 
sels become distended beyond their usual capacity, communi- 
cate with each other, and, when no longer able to contain this 
mass of useless material, an artificial drain, in the form of 
" foot rot," is established, by which simple method the parts 
recover their reciprocal equilibrium. In this case, as in diar- 
rhoea, we recognize a simple and sanative operation of nature's 
law, which, if aided, will generally prove beneficial. 

That " foul in the foot " is caused by the sudden stoppage 
of some natural evacuation is evident from the following 
facts : First, the disease is most prevalent in cold, low, marshy 
countries, where the foot is kept constantly moist. Secondly, 
the disease is neither contagious nor epidemic. (See Journal 
de Med. Vet. et comparee, 1826, p. 319.) 

Treatment. — In all cases of obstruction to the depurating 
apparatus, there is a loss of equilibrium between secretion 
and excretion. The first indication is, to restore the lost 
function. Previously, however, to doing so, the animal must 
be removed to a dry situation. The cause once removed, 
the cure is easy, provided we merely assist nature and follow 
her teachings. As warmth and moisture are known to relax 
all animal fibre, the part should be relaxed, warmed, and 
cleansed, first by warm water and soap, lastly by poultice ; 
at the same time bearing in mind that the object is not to 
produce or invite suppuration, (formation of matter,) but only 
to liberate the excess of morbid materials that may already 
be present : as soon as this is accomplished, the poultice 
should be discontinued. 

Poultice for Foul Feet. 

Roots of marshmallows, bruised, . half a pound. 

Powdered charcoal, a handful. 

" lobelia, a few ounces. 

Meal, a tea-cupful. 

Boiling water sufficient to soften the mass. 



156 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Another. 

Powdered lobelia, \ 

Slippery elm, > equal parts. 

Pond lily, braised, . . . . . . ) 

Mix with boiling water. Put the ingredients into a bag, 
and secure it above the fetlock. 

Give the animal the following at a dose : — 

Flowers of sulphur, half an ounce. 

Powdered sassafras bark, ... 1 ounce. 
Burdock, (any part of the plant,) . 2 ounces. 



The above to be steeped in one quart of boiling water. 
When cool, strain. All that is now needed is to keep the part 
cleansed, and at rest. If a fetid smell still remains, wet the 
cleft, morning and evening, with 

Chloride of soda, 1 ounce. 

Water, 6 ounces. 

Mix. 

Another. 

Pyroligneous acid, 2 ounces. 

Water, a pint. 

Mix. 

Another. 

Common salt, 1 table-spoonful. 

Vinegar, a wine-glass. 

Water, 1 quart. 

Whenever any fungous excrescence makes its appearance 
between the claws, apply powdered bloodroot or burnt alum. 



RED WATER. 157 



RED WATER. 



This affection takes its name from the high color of the 
urine. It is not, strictly speaking, a disease, but only a symp- 
tom of derangement, caused by high feeding or the suppres- 
sion of some natural discharge. If, for example, the skin be 
obstructed, then the insensible perspiration and excrementi- 
tious matter, which should pass through this great outlet, find 
some other mode of egress ; either the lungs or kidneys have 
to perform the extra work. If the lot falls on the latter, and 
they are not in a physiological state, they give evidence of 
febrile or inflammatory action (caused by the irritating, acrid 
character of their secretion) in the form of high-colored 
urine. In all cases of derangement in the digestive appara- 
tus, liver included, both in man and oxen, the urine is gener- 
ally high colored ; and the use of diuretic medicines is objec- 
tionable, for, at best, it would only be treating symptoms. 
We lay it down as a fundamental principle, that those who 
treat symptoms alone never cure disease, for the animal often 
dies a victim to the treatment, instead of the malady. 

Whenever an animal is in a state of plethora, and the usual 
amount of morbific matter cannot find egress, some portion of 
it is reabsorbed, producing a deleterious effect : the urine will 
then be high colored, plainly demonstrating that nature is 
making an effort to rid the system of useless material, and 
will do so unless interfered with by the use of means op- 
posed to the cure, such as blood-letting, physicking, and 
diuretics. 

The urine will appear high colored, and approach a red 
hue, in many cows after calving, in inflammation of the 
womb, gastric fever, puerperal fever, fevers generally, inflam- 
mation of the kidneys, indigestion ; in short, many forms of 
acute disease are accompanied by high-colored urine. 

The treatment, like that of any other form of derange- 
ment, must be general. Excite all parts of the system to 
healthy action. If the bowels are constipated, give the fol- 
lowing : — 



158 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Golden seal, 1 table-spoonful. 

Thoroughwort tea, ... 2 quarts. 

To be given at a dose. Scalded shorts will be the most 
suitable food, if any is required ; but, generally, abstinence is 
necessary, especially if the animal be fat. If the surface and 
extremities are cold, give an infusion of pennyroyal, catnip, 
sage, or hyssop ; and rub the belly and legs with 

Hot vinegar, 1 quart. 

Powdered lobelia or cayenne, . . 1 ounce. 

If the kidneys are inflamed, — which may be known by 
tenderness in the region of the loins, and by the animal stand- 
ing with the legs widely separated, — the urine being of a 
dark red color, then, in addition to the application of stimu- 
lating liniment to the belly and legs, a poultice may be placed 
over the kidneys. 

Poultice for inflamed Kidneys. . 

Slippery elm, 8 ounces. 

Lobelia, 4 ounces. 

Boiling water sufficient. 

Another. 

Linseed, £ 

Marshmallows, S ^ 

Boiling water sufficient. 

Lay the poultice on the loins, pass a cloth over it, and 
secure under the belly. 

A drink of marshmallows is the only fluid that can with 
safety be allowed. 

If the horns, ears, and surface are hot, sponge the whole 
surface with weak lie or saleratus water, and give the follow- 
ing antifebrile drink : — 

Lemon balm, 2 ounces. 

Cream of tartar, 1 ounce. 

Boiling water, 2 quarts. 

Honey, ......... 1 gill. 

When cold, strain, and give a pint every fifteen minutes. 



RED WATER. 159 

If the bowels are constipated, use injections of soap-suds. 

Suppose the animal to be in poor condition, hide bound, 
liver inactive, the excrement of a dark color and fetid odor. 
Then use 

Powdered golden seal, ... 2 ounces. 

" caraways, . . . . 1 ounce. 

" cayenne, .... 1 tea-spoonful. 

Poplar bark, or slippery elm, . 2 ounces. 



Mix, divide into ten parts, and give one, in thin gruel, 
three times a day. The animal should be fed on boiled car- 
rots, scalded shorts, into which a few handfuls of meal or 
flour may be stirred. In short, consider the nature of the 
case ; look beyond the symptoms, ascertain the cause, and, if 
possible, remove it. An infusion of either of the following 
articles may be given at discretion : marshmallows, linseed, 
juniper berries, pond lily roots, poplar bark, or queen of the 
meadow. 

Mr. Cole remarks that " red water is most common in cows 
of weak constitution, a general relaxation, poor blood, &c." 

In such cases, a nutritious diet, cleanliness, good nursing, 
friction on the surface, comfortable quarters at night, and an 
occasional tonic will accomplish wonders. 

Tonic Mixture. 

Powdered golden seal, ... 1 tea-spoonful. 
" balmony, ... 2 tea-spoonfuls. 

Mix the above in shorts or meal. Repeat night and morn- 
ing until convalescence is established. In cases of great pros- 
tration, where it is necessary to act with promptitude, the 
following infusion may be substituted : — 

Thoroughwort, ) 

Golden seal. > of each, 1 ounce. 

Camomile flowers, .... 3 

Boiling water, 2 quarts. 



After standing one hour, strain, and give a pint every four 
hours. 



160 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



BLACK WATER. 

My plan of treatment, in this malady, is similar to that for 
red water. In both cases, it is indispensable to attend to the 
general health, to promote the discharge of all the secretions, 
to remove all obstructions to the full and free play of all parts 
of the living machinery. The same remedies recommended 
in the preceding article are equally good in this case, only 
they must be more perseveringly applied. 



THICK URINE. 



Whenever the urine is thick and turbid, deficient in quan- 
tity, or voided with difficulty, either of the following prescrip- 
tions may be administered : — 

Juniper berries, 2 ounces. 

Boiling water, ....... 2 quarts. 

Strain. Dose, 1 pint every four hours. 
Another. 

Slippery elm, 1 ounce. 

Poplar bark, 2 ounces. 

Make a tea ; sweeten with molasses, and give pint doses 
every four hours. 

Another. 

Make a tea of cedar or pine boughs, sweeten with honey, 
and give it at discretion. 



RHEUMATISM. 161 



RHEUMATISM. 

Rheumatism thrives in cold, damp situations, and in wet, 
foggy weather. It is often confined to the membranes of the 
large joints, and sometimes consists in a deficiency of joint 
oil, (synovia.) It is liable to become chronic, and involve 
the fibro-muscular tissues. Acute rheumatism is known by 
the pain and swelling in. certain parts. Chronic rheumatism 
is recognized by coldness, rigidity about the muscles, want of 
vital action, &c. 

When lameness, after a careful examination, cannot be 
accounted for, and is found to go off after exercise, and return 
again, it is probably rheumatism. 

Treatment of Acute Rheumatism. — Bathe the parts with 
an infusion of arnica flowers, made thus : — 

Arnica flowers, 4 ounces. 

Boiling water, 3 quarts. 

When sufficiently cool, it is fit for use. 
Give the following : — 

Sulphur, 2 ounces. 

Cream of tartar, • 3 ounces. 

Powdered pleurisy root, .... 1 ounce. 

" licorice, 2 ounces. 

Indian meal, 1 pound. 



Mix. Give a table-spoonful three times a day in the feed. 
A light diet and rest are indispensable. 

Treatment of Chronic Rheumatism. — Put the animal on 
a generous diet, and give an occasional spoonful of golden 
seal or balmony in the food, and a drink of sassafras tea. 
The parts may be rubbed with stimulating liniment, foi 
which, see Appendix. 



21 



162 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



BLAINE. 

Some veterinary writers describe this disease as "a watery 
tumor, growing at the root of the tongue, and threatening 
suffocation. The first symptoms are foaming at the mouth, 
gaping, and lolling out of the tongue." 

The disease first originates in the mucous surfaces, which 
enter into the mouth, throat, and stomach. It partakes some- 
what of the character of thrush, and requires nearly the same 
treatment. 

Make an infusion of raspberry leaves, to which add a small 
quantity of borax or alum. Wash the mouth and tongue 
with the same by means of a sponge. If there are any large 
pustules, open them with the point of a penknife. After 
cleansing them, sprinkle with powdered bayberry bark, or 
bloodroot. Rid the system of morbid matter by injection and 
physic, (which see, in Appendix.) The following antiseptic 
drink will then complete the cure : — 

Make a tea of raspberry leaves by steeping two ounces in a 
quart of boiling water ; when cool, strain ; then add 

Powdered charcoal, .... 2 ounces. 
" bayberry bark, . . 1 ounce. 
Honey, 2 table-spoonfuls. 

Give a pint every four hours. 

The diet should consist of scalded meal, boiled turnips, 
carrots, &c, to which a small portion of salt may be added. 
If the glands under the ears and around the throat are sym- 
pathetically affected, and swollen, they must be rubbed twice 
a day with the stimulating liniment. (See Appendix.) 

The disease is supposed, by some veterinarians, to origi- 
nate in the tongue, but post mortem examinations lead us to 
determine otherwise. Mr. Youatt informs us that " post mor- 
tem examination shows intense inflammation, or even gan- 
grene, of the tongue, oesophagus, paunch, and fourth stomach. 
The food in the paunch has a most offensive smell, and that 



INFLAMMATION OF THE THROAT. 163 

in the manyplus is hard and dry. Inflammation reaches to 
the small intestines, which are covered with red and black 
patches in the caecum, colon, and rectum." 



THRUSH. 



Thrush, and all eruptive diseases of the throat and internal 
surface, are treated in the same manner as laid down in Blaine. 



BLACK TONGUE. 

Black Tongue appears when the system is deprived of 
vital force, as in the last stages of blaine, &c The indications 
to be fulfilled are the same as in blaine, but applied with more 
perseverance. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE THROAT AND ITS APPENDAGES.* 

In many cases, if attended to immediately, nothing more 
will be necessary than confining the animal to a light diet, 
with frequent drinks of linseed tea, warmth and moisture ap- 
plied locally in the form of a slippery elm poultice, which 
may be kept in close contact with the throat by securing it 
to the horns. But, in very severe attacks, mullein leaves 
steeped in vinegar and applied to the parts, with an occasional 
stimulating injection, (see Appendix,) together with a gruel 
diet, are the only means of relief. 

* This includes the larynx, pharynx, and trachea. 



164 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



BRONCHITIS. 

Bronchitis consists in a thickening of the fibrous and mu- 
cous surfaces of the trachea, and generally results from mal- 
treated hoose or catarrh. 

Symptoms. — A dry, husky, wheezing cough, laborious 
breathing, hot breath, and dry tongue. 

Treatment. — Warm poultices of slippery elm or flaxseed, 
on the surface of which sprinkle powdered lobelia. Apply 
them to the throat moderately warm ; if they are too hot they 
will prove injurious. In the first place administer the follow- 
ing drink : — 

Powdered licorice, 1 ounce. 

" elecampane, .... half an ounce. 
Slippery elm, 1 ounce. 

Boiling water sufficient to make it of the consistence of thin 
gruel. 

If there is great difficulty of breathing, add half a tea-spoon 
of lobelia to the above, and repeat the dose night and morn- 
ing. Linseed or marshmallow tea is a valuable auxiliary in 
the treatment of this disease. The animal should be com- 
fortably housed, and the legs kept warm by friction with 
coarse straw. 



INFLAMMATION OP GLANDS. 

There are numerous glandular bodies distributed over the 
animal structure. Those to which the reader's attention is 
called are, first, the parotid, situated beneath the ear; sec- 
ondly, the sub-lingual, beneath the tongue ; lastly, the sub- 
maxillary, situated just within the angle of the jaw. They 



INFLAMMATION OF GLANDS. 165 

are organized similarly to other glands, as the kidneys, &c, 
possessing arteries, veins, lymphatics, &c, which terminate in a 
common duct. They have also a ramification of nerves, and 
the body of the gland has its own system of arterial vessels 
and absorbents, which are enclosed by a serous membrane. 
They produce a copious discharge of fluid, called saliva. Its 
use is to lubricate the mouth, thereby preventing friction ; 
also to lubricate the food, and assist digestion. 

Inflammation of either of these glands may be known by 
the heat, tenderness, enlargement, and difficulty of swallow- 
ing. They are usually sympathetically affected, as in hoose, 
catarrh, influenza, &c, and generally resume their natural state 
when these maladies disappear. 

Treatment. — In the inflammatory stage, warm teas of 
marshmallows, or slippery elm, and poultices of the same, are 
the best means yet known to reduce it ; they relax constricted 
or obstructed organs, and by being directly applied to the 
parts affected, the more speedily and effectually is the object 
accomplished. Two or three applications of some relaxing 
poultice will be all that is needed ; after which, apply 

Olive oil, or goose grease, ... 1 gill. 

Spirits of camphor, 1 ounce. 

Oil of cedar, . , 1 ounce. 

Vinegar, half a gill. 

Mix. 

Another. 

Pyroligneous acid, 2 ounces. 

Beef's gall, 1 gill. 

Cayenne, 1 tea-spoonful. 

To be rubbed around the throat as occasion may require. 
All hard or indigestible food will be injurious. 



166 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



LOSS OF CUD. 

Loss of Cud is a species of indigestion, and may be brought 
on by the animal's eating greedily of some food to which it has 
been unaccustomed. Loss of cud and loss of appetite are 
synonymous. 

Compound for Loss of Cud. 

Golden seal, powdered, .... 1 ounce. 

Caraway, " .... 2 ounces. 

Cream of tartar, half an ounce. 

Powdered poplar bark, .... 2 ounces. 

Mix. Divide into six powders, and give one every four 
hours in a sufficient quantity of camomile tea. 



COLIC. 

Colic is occasioned by a want of physiological power in 
the organs of digestion, so that the food, instead of undergo- 
ing a chemico-vital process, runs into fermentation, by which 
process carbonic acid gas is evolved. 

Symptoms. — The animal is evidently in pain, and appears 
very restless ; it occasionally turns its head, with an anxious 
gaze, to the left side, which seems to be distended more than 
the right ; there is an occasional discharge of gas from the 
mouth and anus. 

Treatment. — Give the following carminative : — 

Powdered aniseed, .... half a tea-spoonful. 
" cinnamon, . . . " " 

To be given* in a quart of spearmint tea, and repeated if 
necessary. 



SPASMODIC COLIC. 167 

Another. 

Powdered assafoetida, ..... half a tea-spoon. 
Thin gruel of slippery elm, ... 2 quarts. 
Oil of aniseed, . 20 drops. 

To be given at a dose. 

If the animal suffers much pain, apply fomentations to the 
belly, and give the following injection : — 

Powdered ginger, half an ounce. 

Common salt, 1 table-spoonful. 

Hot water, ..1 gallon. 



SPASMODIC COLIC. 



This affection may be treated in the same manner as flatu- 
lent colic, aided by warmth and moisture externally. The 
author has in many cases cured animals of spasmodic colic 
with a little peppermint tea, brisk friction upon the stomach 
and bowels, and an injection of warm water ; whereas, had 
the animals been compelled to swallow the usual amount of 
gin, saleratus, castor oil, salts, and other nauseous, useless 
drugs, they would probably have died. The reader, espe- 
cially if he is an advocate of the popular poisoning and blood- 
letting system, may ask, What good can a little simple pep- 
permint tea accomplish ? We answer, Nature delights in 
simples, and in all her operations invites us to follow her ex- 
ample. The fact is, warm peppermint tea, although in the 
estimation of the learned it is not entitled to any confidence 
as a therapeutic agent, yet is an efficient anti-spasmodic in the 
hands of reformers and common-sense farmers. It is evident 
that if any changes are made in the symptoms, they ought to 
be for the better ; yet under the heroic practice they often 
grow worse. 



168 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



CONSTIPATION. 

In constipation there is a retention of the excrement, which 
becomes dry and hard. It may arise from derangement of 
the liver and other parts of the digestive apparatus : at other 
times, there is a loss of equilibrium between the mucous and 
external surface, the secretion of the former being deficient, 
and the external surface throwing off too much moisture in 
the form of perspiration. In short, constipation, in nine cases 
out of ten, is only a symptom of a more serious disorder in 
some important function. The use of powerful purges is at all 
times attended with danger, and in very many cases they fall 
short of accomplishing the object. Mr. Youatt tells us that 
" a heifer had been feverish, and had refused all food during 
five days ; and four pounds of Epsom salts, and the same 
quantity of treacle, and three fourths of a pint of castor oil, 
and numerous injections, had been administered before any 
purgative effect could be produced." Several cases have come 
under the author's notice where large doses of aloes, salts, 
and castor oil had been given without producing the least 
effect on the bowels, until within a few minutes of the death 
of the animal. If the animal ever recovers from the danger- 
ous effects resulting from powerful purges, it is evident that 
the delicate membranes lining the alimentary canal must lose 
their energy and become torpid. All mechanical irritants — 
for purges are of that class — divert the fluids of the body from 
the surface and kidneys, producing watery discharges from 
the bowels. This may be exemplified by a person taking 
a pinch of snuff ; the irritating article comes in contact with 
the mucous surfaces : they endeavor to wash off the offend- 
ing matter by secreting a quantity of fluid ; this, together with 
what is forced through the membranes in the act of sneezing, 
generally accomplishes the purpose. A constant repetition of 
the vile habit renders the parts less capable of self-defence ; 
they become torpid, and lose their natural power of resisting 
encroachments ; finally, the altered voice denotes the havoc 



SPASMODIC COLIC. 169 

made on the mucous membrane. This explains the whole 
modus operandi of artificial purging ; and although, in the 
latter case, the parts are not adapted to sneezing, yet there is 
often a dreadful commotion, which has destroyed many thou- 
sands of valuable animals. An eminent professor has said 
that " purgatives, besides being uncertain and uncontrollable, 
often kill from the dangerous debility they produce." The 
good results that sometimes appear to follow the exhibition 
of irritating purges must be attributed to the sanative action 
of the constitution, and not to the agent itself; and the life 
of the patient depends, in all cases, on the existing ability 
of the vital power to counteract the effects of purging, bleed- 
ing, poisoning, and blistering. 

The author does not wish to give the reader occasion to 
conclude that purgatives can be entirely dispensed with ; on 
the contrary, he thinks that in many cases they are decidedly 
beneficial, when given with discretion, and when the nature 
of the disease requires them ; yet even in such cases, too 
much confidence should not be placed on them, so as to ex- 
clude other and sometimes more efficient remedies, which 
come under the head of laxatives, aperients, &c. 

Treatment. — If costiveness is suspected to be symptom- 
atic of some derangement, then a restoration of the general 
health will establish the lost function of the bowels. In this 
case, purges are unnecessary ; the treatment will altogether 
depend on the symptoms. For example, suppose the animal 
constipated ; the white of the eye tinged yellow, head droop- 
ing, and the animal is drowsy, and off its feed ; then give the 
following : — 

Powdered mandrake, .... 1 tea-spoonful. 

Castile soap, in shavings, . . . quarter of an ounce. 

Beefs gall, half a wine-glass. 

Powdered capsicum, .... third of a table-spoon. 

Dissolve the soap in a small quantity of hot water, then 
mix the whole in three pints of thin gruel. 
22 



170 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

This makes a good aperient, and can be given with perfect 
safety in all cases of constipation arising from derangement 
of the liver. The liquid must be poured down the throat in 
a gradual manner, in order to insure its reaching the fourth 
stomach. Aid the medicine by injections, and rub the belly 
occasionally with straw. 

Suppose the bowels to be torpid during an attack of inflam- 
mation of the brain ; then it will be prudent to combine re- 
laxents and anti-spasmodics, in the following form : — 

Extract of butternut, half an ounce. 

Powdered skunk cabbage, ... " 

Cream of tartar, " 

Powdered lobelia, 2 drachms. 

First dissolve the butternut in two quarts of hot water ; 
after which add the remaining ingredients, and give it for a 
dose. The operation of this prescription, like the preceding, 
must be aided by injection, friction, and warm drinks made of 
hyssop or pine boughs. 

Suppose the bowels to be constipated, at the same time the 
animal is hide-bound, in poor condition, &c. ; the aperient 
must then be combined with tonics, as follows : — 

Extract of butternut, half an ounce. 

Rochelle salts, 4 ounces. 

Golden seal, 1 ounce. 

Ginger, 1 tea-spoonful. 

Hot water, 3 quarts. 

Dissolve and administer at a dose. In order to relieve the 
cold, constricted, inactive state of the hide, recourse must be 
had to warmth, moisture, and friction. A simple aperient of 
linseed oil may be given in cases of stricture or intussusception 
of the bowels. The dose is one pint. 



CALVING. 171 



FALLING DOWN OF THE FUNDAMENT. 

Return the prolapsed part as quickly as possible by gently 
kneading the parts within the rectum. In recent cases, the 
part should be washed with an infusion of bayberry bark. 
(See Appendix.) The bowel may be kept in position by 
applying a wad of cotton, kept wet with the astringent infu- 
sion, confined with a bandage. A weak solution of alum 
water may, however, be substituted, provided the bayberry or 
white oak bark is not at hand. 

Should the parts appear swollen and much inflamed, apply 
a large slippery elm poultice, on the surface of which sprin- 
kle powdered white oak or bayberry bark. This will soon 
lessen the swelling, so that the rectum may be returned. 

The diet must be very sparing, consisting of flour gruel ; 
and if the bowels are in a relaxed state, add a small quan- 
tity of powdered bayberry. 



CALVING 



At the end of nine months, the period of the cow's gesta- 
tion is complete ; but parturition does not always take place 
at that time : it is sometimes earlier, at others later. u One 
hundred and sixteen cows had their time of calving regis- 
tered: fourteen of them calved from the two hundred and 
forty-first day to the two hundred and sixty-sixth day, — that 
is, eight months and one day to eight months and twenty-six 
days ; fifty-six from the two hundred and seventieth to the 
two hundred and eightieth day ; eighteen from the two hun- 
dred and eightieth to the two hundred and ninetieth ; twenty 
on the three hundredth day ; five on the three hundred and 
eighth day ; consequently there were sixty-seven days be- 
tween the two extremities." 



172 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Immediately before calving, the animal appears uneasy ; the 
tail is elevated ; she shifts from place to place, and is fre- 
quently lying down and getting up again. The labor pains 
then come on ; and by the expulsive power of the womb, the 
foetus, with the membranes enveloping it, is pushed forward. 
At first, the membranes appear beyond the vagina, or " shape," 
often in the form of a bladder of water ; the membranes burst, 
the water is discharged, and the head and fore feet of the calf 
protrude beyond the shape. We are now supposing a case 
of natural labor. The body next appears, and soon the de- 
livery is complete. In a short time, a gradual contraction of 
the womb takes place, and the cleansings (afterbirth) are 
discharged. When the membranes are ruptured in the early 
stage of calving, and before the outlet be sufficiently expand- 
ed, the process is generally tedious and attended with danger ; 
and this danger arises in part from the premature escape of 
the fluids contained within the membranes, which are intend- 
ed, ultimately, to serve the double purpose of expanding or 
dilating the passage, and lubricating the parts, thereby facil- 
itating the birth. 

Under these circumstances, it will be our duty to supply 
the latter deficiency by carefully anointing the parts with olive 
oil ; at the same time, allow the animal a generous supply of 
slippery elm gruel : if she refuses to partake of it, when of- 
fered in a bucket, it must be gently poured down the throat 
from a bottle. At times, delivery is very slow ; a consid- 
erable time elapses before any part of the calf makes its ap- 
pearance. Here we have only to exercise patience ; for if 
there is a natural presentation, nature, being the best doctor 
under all circumstances, will do the work in a more faithful 
manner unassisted than when improperly assisted. " A med- 
dlesome midwifery is bad." Therefore the practice of at- 
tempting to hurry the process by driving the animal about, or 
annoying her in any way, is very improper. In some cases, 
however, when a wrong presentation is apparent, which seems 
to render calving impracticable, we should, after smearing 
the hand with lard, introduce it into the vagina, and endeavor 



CALVING. 173 

to ascertain the position of the calf, and change it when it is 
found unfavorable. When, for example, the head presents 
without the fore legs, which are bent under the breast, we 
may gently pass the hand along the neck, and, having ascer- 
tained the position of the feet, we grasp them, and endeavor 
to bring them forward, the cow at the same time being put 
into the most favorable position, viz., the hind quarters being 
elevated. By this means the calf can be gently pushed back, 
as the feet are advanced and brought into the outlet. The 
calf being now in a natural position, we wait patiently, and 
give nature an opportunity to perform her work. Should the 
expulsive efforts cease, and the animal appear to be rapidly 
sinking, no time must be lost ; nature evidently calls for as- 
sistance, but not in the manner usually resorted to, viz., that 
of placing a rope around the head and feet of the calf, and 
employing the united strength of several men to extract the 
fcetus, without regard to position. Oar efforts must be di- 
rected to the mother ; the calf is a secondary consideration : 
the strength of the former, if it is failing, must be supported ; 
the expulsive power of the womb and abdominal muscles, now 
feeble, must be aroused ; and there are no means or processes 
that are better calculated to fulfil these indications than that 
of administering the following drink : — 

Bethroot, 2 ounces. 

Powdered cayenne, .... one third of a tea-spoon. 
Motherwort, 1 ounce. 

Infuse in a gallon of boiling water. When cool, strain, 
then add a gill of honey, and give it in pint doses, as occasion 
may require. 

Under this treatment, there is no difficulty in reestablishing 
uterine action. If, however, the labor is still tedious, the 
calf may be grasped with both hands, and as soon as a pain 
or expulsive effort is evident, draw the calf from side to side. 
While making this lateral motion, draw the calf forward. 
Expulsion generally follows. 

If, on examination, it is clearly ascertained that the calf is 



174 



AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



lying in an unnatural position, — for example, the calf may 
be in such a position as to present its side across the outlet, 
— in such cases delivery is not practicable unless the position 
is altered. Mr. White says, " I have seen a heifer that it was 
found impossible to deliver. On examining her after death, a 
very large calf was found lying quite across the mouth of the 
uterus." In such cases, Mr. Lawson recommends that, 
" when every other plan has failed for turning the calf, so as 
to put it in a favorable position for delivery, the following has 
often succeeded : Let the cow be thrown down in a proper 
position, and placed on her back ; then, by means of ropes 
and a pulley attached to a beam above, let the hind parts be 
raised up, so as to be considerably higher than the fore parts ; 
in this position, the calf may be easily put back towards the 
bottom of the uterus, so as to admit of being turned, or his 
head and fore legs brought forward without difficulty." 

We must ever bear in mind the important fact that the suc- 
cessful termination of the labor depends on the strength and 
ability of the parent ; that if these fail, however successful we 
may be in bringing about a right presentation, the birth is still 
tedious, and we may finally have to take the foetus away 
piecemeal ; by which process the cow's life is put in jeopardy. 

To avoid such an unfortunate occurrence, support the ani- 
mal's strength with camomile tea. The properties of camo- 
mile are antispasmodic, carminative, and tonic — just what 
is wanted. 

Mr. White informs us that " instances sometimes occur of 
the calf's head appearing only, and so large that it is found 
impossible to put it back. When this is found to be the case, 
the calf should be killed, and carefully extracted, by cutting 
off the head and other parts that prevent the extraction ; thus 
the cow's life will be saved." 

In cases of malformation of the head of the foetus, or when 
the cranium is enormously distended by an accumulation of 
fluid within the ventricles of the brain, after all other reme- 
dies, in the form of fomentations, lubricating antispasmodic 
drinks, have failed, then recourse must be had to embryotomy. 



EMBRYOTOMY. 175 



EMBRYOTOMY. 

For the following method of performing the operation we 
are indebted to Mr. Youatt's work. The details appeared in 
the London Veterinarian -of 1831. and will illustrate the oper- 
ation. M. Thibeaudeau, the operating surgeon, says, " I was 
consulted respecting a Breton cow twenty years old, which 
was unable to calve. I soon discovered the obstacle to the 
delivery. The fore limbs presented themselves as usual ; but 
the head and neck were turned backwards, and fixed on the 
left side of the chest, while the foetus lay on its right side, on 
the inferior portion of the uterus." M. Thibeaudeau then 
relates the ineffectual efforts he made to bring the foetus into 
a favorable position, and he at length found that his only re- 
source to save the mother was, to cut in pieces the calf, which 
was now dead. " I amputated the left shoulder of the foetus," 
says he, £ - in spite of the difficulties which the position of the 
head and neck presented. Having withdrawn the limb, I 
made an incision through all the cartilages of the ribs, and 
laid open the chest through its whole extent, by which means 
I was enabled to extract all the thoracic viscera. Thus hav- 
ing lessened the size of the calf, I was enabled, by pulling at 
the remaining fore leg, to extract the foetus without much re- 
sistance, although the head and neck were still bent upon the 
chest. The afterbirth was removed immediately afterwards." 
This shows the importance of making an early examination, 
to determine the precise position of the foetus ; for if the head 
had been discovered in such position in the early stage of la- 
bor, it might have been brought forward, and thus prevented 
the butchery. 



176 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



FALLING OF THE CALF-BED, OR WOMB. 

When much force is used in extracting the calf, it some- 
times happens that the womb falls out, or is inverted ; and 
great care is required in putting it back, so that it may remain 
in that situation. 

Treatment. — If the cow has calved during the night, in a 
cold situation, and, from the exhausted state of the animal, 
we have reason to suppose that the labor has been tedious, 
or that she has taken cold, efforts must be made to re- 
store the equilibrium. The following restorative must be 
given : — 

Motherwort tea, 2 quarts. 

Hot drops, 1 table-spoonful. 

Powdered cinnamon, 1 tea-spoonful. 

Give a pint every ten minutes, and support the animal with 
flour gruel. 

The uterus should be returned in the following manner : 
Place the cow in such a position that the hind parts shall be 
higher than the fore. Wash the uterus with warm water, 
into which sprinkle a small quantity of powdered bayberry ; 
remove any extraneous substance from the parts. A linen 
cloth is then to be put under the womb, which is to be held 
by two assistants. The cow should be made to rise, if lying 
down, — that being the most favorable position, — and the 
operator is then to grasp the mouth of the womb with both 
hands and return it. When so returned, one hand is to be 
immediately withdrawn, while the other remains to prevent 
that part from falling down again. The hand at liberty is 
then to grasp another portion of the womb, which is to be 
pushed into the body, like the former, and retained with one 
hand. This is to be repeated until the whole of the womb is 
put back. If the womb does not contract, friction, with a 
brush, around the belly and back, may excite contraction. 



GARGET. 177 

An attendant must, at the same time, apply a pad wetted 
with weak alum water to the " shape," and keep it in close 
contact with the parts, while the friction is going on. It is 
sometimes necessary to confine the pad by a bandage. 



GARGET. 

In order to prevent this malady, the calf should be put to 
suck immediately after the cow has cleansed it ; and, if the 
bag is distended with an overplus of milk, some of it should 
be milked off. If, however, the teats or quarters become hot 
and tender, foment with an infusion of elder or camomile 
flowers, which must be perseveringly applied, at the same 
time drawing, in the most gentle manner, a small quantity of 
milk ; by which means the over-distended vessels will col- 
lapse to their healthy diameter. An aperient must then be 
given, (see Appendix,) and the animal be kept on a light diet. 
If there is danger of matter forming, rub the bag with the 
following liniment : — 

Goose oil, ) , 

Hot drops, £ equal parts. 

If the parts are exceedingly painful, wash with a weak lie, 
or wood ashes, or sal soda. In spite of all our efforts, matter 
will sometimes form. As soon as it is discovered, a lancet 
may be introduced, and the matter evacuated ; then wash the 
part clean, and apply the stimulating liniment. (See Appen- 
dix.) 

23 



178 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



SORE TEATS. 

First wash with castile soap and warm water ; then apply 
the following : — 



Lime water, 

Linseed oil, $ 



C equal parts. 



CHAPPED TEATS AND CHAFED UDDER. 

These may be treated in the same manner. 
If the above preparation is not at hand, substitute bayberry 
tallow, elder or marshmallow ointment. 



FEVER. 

Description and Definition. — Fever is a powerful effort 
of the vital principle to expel from the system morbific or irri- 
tating matter, or to bring about a healthy action. The rea- 
son why veterinary practitioners have not ascertained this fact 
heretofore is, because they have been guided by false princi- 
ples, to the exclusion of their own common experience. Let 
them receive the truth of the definition we have given ; then 
the light will begin to shine, and medical darkness will be 
rendered more visible. Fever, we have said, is a vital ac- 
tion — an effort of the vital power to regain its equilibrium of 
action through the system, and should never be subdued by 
the use of the lancet, or any destructive agents that deprive 
the organs of the power to produce it. Fever will be gener- 
ally manifested in one or more of that combination of signs 
known as follows : loss of appetite, increased velocity of the 
pulse, difficult respiration, heaving at the flank, thirst, pain, 
and swelling ; some of which will be present, local or gen- 
eral, in greater or less degree, in all forms of disease. When 



FEVER. 179 

an animal has taken cold, and there is power in the system to 
keep up a continual warfare against encroachments, the dis- 
turbance of vital action being unbroken, the fever is called 
pure or persistent. Emanations from animal or vegetable sub- 
stances in a state of decomposition or putrefaction, or the nox- 
ious miasmata from marshy lands, if concentrated, and not 
sufficiently diluted with atmospheric air, enter into the sys- 
tem, and produce a specific effect. In order to dethrone the 
intruder, who keeps up a system of aggression from one tissue 
to another, the vital power arrays her artillery, in good ear- 
nest, to resist the invading foe ; and if furnished with the mu- 
nitions of war in the form of sanative agents, she generally 
conquers the enemy, and dictates her own terms. While the 
forces are equally balanced, which may be known by a high 
grade of vital action, it is also called unbroken or pure fe- 
ver. The powers of the system may become exhausted by 
efforts at relief, and the fever will be periodically reduced ; 
this form of fever is called remittent. By remittent fever is 
to be understood this modification of vital action which rests 
or abates, but does not go entirely off before a fresh attack 
ensues. It is evident, in this case, also, that nature is busily 
engaged in the work of establishing her empire ; but being 
more exhausted, she occasionally rests from her labors. It 
would be as absurd to expect that the most accurate definition 
of fever in one animal would correspond in all its details with 
another case, as to expect all animals to be alike. There are 
many names given to fevers ; for example, in addition to the 
two already alluded to, we have milk or puerperal fever, symp- 
tomatic, typhus, inflammatory, &c. Veterinary Surgeon Per- 
cival, in an article on fever, says, " We have no more reason 
— not near so much — to give fever a habitation in the abdo- 
men, than we have to enthrone it in the head j but it would 
appear from the full range of observation, that no part of the 
body can be said to be unsusceptible of inflammation, (local 
fever,) though, at the same time, no organ is invariably or 
exclusively affected." 

From this we learn that disease always attacks the weak- 



180 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

est organ, and that our remedies should be adapted to act on 
all parts of the system. 

The same author continues, " All I wish to contend for is, 
that both idiopathic and symptomatic fevers exhibit the same 
form, character, species, and the same general means of cure ; 
and that, were it not for the local affection, it would be diffi- 
cult or impossible to distinguish them." 

Fever has always been the great bugbear, to scare the farm- 
er and cattle doctor into a wholesale system of blood-letting 
and purging ; they believe that the more fever the animal 
manifests, the more unwearied must be their exertions. The 
author advises the farmer not to feel alarmed about the fever ; 
for when that is present it shows that the vital principle is up 
and doing. Efforts should be made to open the outlets of the 
body, through which the morbific materials may pass : the 
fever will then subside. It will be difficult to make the com- 
munity credit this simple truth, because fever is quite a fash- 
ionable disease, and it is an easy matter to make the farmer 
believe that his cow has a very peculiar form of it, that re- 
quires an entirely different mode of treatment from that of 
another form. Then it is very profitable to the interested allo- 
pathic doctor, who can produce any amount of " learned non- 
sense " to justify the ways and means, and support his theory. 

The author does not wish, at the present time, to enter into 
a learned discussion of the merit or demerit of allopathy : the 
object of this work is, to impart practical information to farm- 
ers and owners of stock. In order to accomplish this object, 
an occasional reference to the absurdities of the old school is 
unavoidable. 

A celebrated writer has said, " The very medicines [mean- 
ing those used by the old school, which kill more than they 
ever cure] which aggravate and protract the malady bind a 
laurel on the doctor's brow. When, at last, the sick are saved 
by the living powers of nature struggling against death and 
the physician, he receives all the credit of a miraculous cure ; 
he is lauded to the skies for delivering the sick from the 
details of the most deadly symptoms of misery into which 



FEVER. 181 

he himself had plunged them, and out of which they never 
would have arisen, but by the restorative efforts of that living 
power which at once triumphed over poison, blood-letting, 
disease, and death." 

In the treatment of disease, and when fever is manifested 
by the signs just enumerated, the object is, to invite the blood 
to the external surface ; or, in other words, equalize the cir- 
culation by warmth and moisture ; give diaphoretic or sudor- 
ific medicines, (see Appendix,) with a view of relaxing the 
capillary structure, ridding the system of morbific materials, 
and allaying the general excitement. If the ears and legs 
are cold, rub them diligently with a brush ; if they again re- 
lapse into a cold state, rub them with stimulating liniment, 
and bandage them with flannel. In short, to contract, to 
stimulate, remove obstructions, and furnish the system with 
the materials for self-defence, are the means to be resorted to 
in the cure of fevers. 

We shall now give a few examples of the treatment of 
fever; from which the reader will form some idea of the 
course to be pursued in other forms not enumerated. But we 
may be asked why we make so many divisions of fever when 
it is evidently a unit. We answer the question in the words 
of Professor Curtis, whose teachings first emancipated us 
from the absurdity of allopathic theories. " These divisions 
were made by the learned in physic, and we follow them out 
in their efforts to divide what is in its nature indivisible, to 
satisfy the demands of the public, and to give it in small 
crums to those practitioners of the art who have not capacity 
enough to take in the whole at a single mouthful." 

In the treatment of fevers, we must endeavor to remove 
all intruding agents, their influences and effects, and reestab- 
lish a full, free, and universal equilibrium throughout the sys- 
tem. " The means are," says Professor Curtis, " antispas- 
modics, stimulants, and tonics, with emollients to grease the 
wheels of life. Disprove these positions, and we lay by the 
pen and 'throw physic to the dogs.' Adhere strictly to them 
in the use of the best means, and you will do all that can be 
done in the hour of need." 



182 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



MILK OR PUERPERAL EEVER. 

Treatment. — Aperients are exceedingly important in the 
early stages, for they liberate any offending matter that may 
have accumulated in the different compartments of the stom- 
ach or intestines, and deplete the system with more certainty 
and less danger than blood-letting. 

Aperient for Puerperal Fever. 

Rochelle salts, 4 ounces. 

Manna, 2 ounces. 

Extract of butternut, half an ounce. 

Dissolve in boiling water, ... 3 quarts. 



To be given at a dose. 

By the aid of one or more of the following drinks, the 
aperient will generally operate : — 

Give a bountiful supply of hyssop tea, sweetened with 
honey. Keep the surface warm. 

Suppose the secretion of milk to be arrested ; then apply 
warm fomentations to the udder. 

Suppose the bowels to be torpid; then use injections of 
soap-suds and salt. 

Suppose the animal to be in poor condition ; then give the 
following : — 

Powdered balmony or gentian, . . 1 ounce. 

Golden seal, 1 ounce. 

Flour gruel, . 1 gallon. 

To be given in quart doses, every four hours. 
Suppose the bowels to be distended with gas ; then give 
the following : — 

Powdered caraways, 1 ounce. 

Assafcetida, 1 tea-spoonful. 

Boiling water, 2 quarts. 

To be given at a dose. 



FEVER. 183 

Any of the above preparations may be repeated, as circum- 
stances seem to require. Yet it must be borne in mind that 
we are apt to do too much, and that the province of the good 
physician is " to know when to do nothing." The following 
case from Mr. Youatt's work illustrates this fact : — 

" A very singular variety of milk fever has already been 
hinted at. The cow is down, but there is apparently nothing 
more the matter with her than that she is unable to rise ; she 
eats and drinks, and ruminates as usual, and the evacuations 
are scarcely altered. In this state she continues from ten 
days to a fortnight, and then she gets up well." Yes, and 
many thousands more would "get up well," if they were 
only let alone. Nature requires assistance sometimes ; hence 
the need of doctors and nurses. All, however, that is required 
of the doctor to do is, just to attend to the calls of nature, — 
whose servant he is, — and bring her what she wants to use 
in her own way. The nearer the remedies partake or consist 
of air, water, warmth, and food, the more sure and certain 
are they to do good. 

If a cow, in high condition, has just calved, appears rest- 
less, becomes irritable, the eye and tongue protruding, and a 
total suspension of milk takes place, we may conclude that 
there is danger of puerperal fever. No time should be lost: 
the aperient must be given immediately; warm injections 
must be thrown into the rectum, and the teats must be indus- 
triously drawn, to solicit the secretion of milk. In this case, 
all food should be withheld : " starve a fever " suits this case 
exactly. 

INFIAMMATORY FEVER. 

Inflammatory fever manifests itself very suddenly. The 
animal may appear well during the day, but at night it ap- 
pears dull, refuses its food, heaves at the flanks, seems uneasy, 
and sometimes delirious ; the pulse is full and bounding ; the 
mouth hot ; urine high colored and scanty. Sometimes there 
are hot and cold stages. 



184 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Remarks. — When disease attacks any particular organ 
suddenly, or in an acute form, inflammatory fever generally 
manifests itself. Now, disease may attack the brain, the 
lungs, kidneys, spleen, bowels, pleura, or peritoneum. In- 
flammatory fever may be present in each case. Now, it is 
evident that the fever is not the real enemy to be overcome ; 
it is only a manifestation of disorder, not the cause of it. 
The skin may be obstructed, thereby retaining excrementi- 
tious materials in the system : the reabsorption of the latter 
produces fever ; hence it is obvious that a complete cure can 
only be effected by the removal of its causes, or, rather, the 
restoration of the suppressed evacuations, secretions, or excre- 
tions. 

It is very important that we observe and imitate nature in 
her method of curing fever, which is, the restoration of the 
secretions, and, in many cases, by sweat, or by diarrhoea ; 
either of which processes will remove the irritating or offend- 
ing cause, and promote equilibrium of action throughout the 
whole animal system. In fulfilling these indications consists 
the whole art of curing fever. 

But says one, " It is a very difficult thing to sweat an ox." 
Trtien the remedies should be more perseveringly applied. 
Warm, relaxing, antispasmodic drinks should be freely al- 
lowed, and these should be aided by warmth, moisture, and 
friction externally ; and by injection, if needed. If the ox 
does not actually sweat under this system of medication, he 
will throw off a large amount of insensible perspiration. 

Causes. — In addition to the causes already enumerated, 
are the accumulation of excrementitious and morbific materi- 
als in the system. Dr. Eberle says, " A large proportion of 
the recrementitious elements of perspirable matter must, when 
the surface is obstructed, remain and mingle with the blood, 
(unless speedily removed by the vicarious action of some 
other emunctory,) and necessarily impart to this fluid quali- 
ties that are not natural to it. Most assuredly the retention 
of materials which have become useless to the system, and 






FEVER. 185 

for whose constant elimination nature has provided so exten- 
sive a series of emunctories as the cutaneous exhalents, can- 
not be long tolerated by the animal economy with entire 
impunity." 

Dr. White says, " Many of the diseases of horses and cat- 
tle are caused by suppressed or checked perspiration ; the 
various appearances they assume depending, perhaps, in a 
great measure, upon the suddenness with which this discharge 
is stopped, and the state of the animal at the time it takes 
place. 

" Cattle often suffer from being kept in cold, bleak situa- 
tions, particularly in the early part of spring, during the prev- 
alence of an easterly wind ; in this case, the suppression of 
the discharge is more gradual, and the diseases which result 
from it are slower in their progress, consequently more insid- 
ious in their nature ; and it often happens that the animal is 
left in the same cold situation until the disease is incurable." 

It seems probable that, in these cases, the perspiratory ves- 
sels gradually lose their power, and that, at length, a total and 
permanent suppression of that necessary discharge takes place ; 
hence arise inflammatory fever, consumption, decayed liver, 
rot, mesenteric obstructions, and various other complaints. 
How necessary, therefore, is it for proprietors of cattle to be 
provided with sheltered situations for their stock ! How 
many diseases might they prevent by such precaution, and 
how much might they save, not only in preserving the lives 
of their cattle, but in avoiding the expense (too often useless, 
to say the least of it) of cattle doctoring! 

Treatment. — We first give an aperient, (see Appendix,) 
to deplete the system. The common practice is to deplete 
by blood-letting, which only protracts the malady, and often 
brings on typhus, black quarter, joint murrain, &c. Promote 
the secretions and excretions in the manner already referred 
to under the head of Puerperal Fever ; this will relieve the 
stricture of the surface. A drink made from either of the 
following articles should be freely given : lemon balm, wan- 
24 



186 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

dering milk weed, thoroughwort, or lady's slipper, made as 
follows : — 

Take either of the above articles, . . 2 ounces. 
Boiling water, 2 quarts. 

When cool, strain, and add a wine-glass of honey. 

If there is great thirst, and the mouth is hot and dry, the 
animal may have a plentiful supply of water. 

If the malady threatens to assume a putrid or malignant 
type, add a small quantity of capsicum and charcoal to the 
drink, and support the strength of the animal with flour gruel. 

TYPHUS FEVER 

Causes. — Sudden changes in the temperature of the at- 
mosphere, the animal being at the same time in a state of 
debility, unable to resist external agencies. 

Treatment. — Support the powers of the system through 
the means of nutritions diet, in the form of flour gruel, 
scalded meal and shorts, bran-water, &c. 

Give tonics, relaxents, and antispasmodics, in the follow- 
ing form : — 

Powdered capsicum, 1 tea-spoonful. 

" bloodroot, 1 ounce. 

" cinnamon, half an ounce. 

Thoroughwort or valerian, ... 2 ounces. 

Boiling water, 1 gallon. 

When cold, strain, and give a quart every two hours. 

Remove the contents of the rectum by injections of a 
stimulating character, and invite action to the extremities by 
rubbing them with stimulating liniment, (which see.) A 
drink of camomile tea should be freely allowed ; if diarrhoea 
sets in, add half a tea-spoon of bayberry bark to every two 
puarts of the tea. 

These few examples of the treatment of fever will give 



FEVER. 187 

the farmer an idea of the author's manner of treating it, who 
can generally break up a fever in a few hours, whereas the 
popular method of " smothering the fire," as Mr. Youatt 
terms the blood-letting process, instead of curing, will pro- 
duce all forms of fever. Here is a specimen of the treatment, 
in fever of a putrid type, recommended by Dr. Brocklesby. 
He says, " Immediately upon refusing fodder, the beast should 
have three quarts of blood taken away ; and after twelve 
hours, two quarts more ; after the next twelve hours, about 
three pints may be let out ; and after the following twelve 
hours, diminish a pint of blood from the quantity taken away 
at the preceding blood-letting ; lastly, about a single pint 
should be taken away in less than twelve hours after the for- 
mer bleeding ; so that, when the beast has been blooded five 
times, in the manner here proposed, the worst symptoms will, 
it is hoped, abate ; but if the difficulty and panting for 
breath continue very great, I see no reason against repeated 
bleeding." (See Lawson's work on cattle, p. 312.) The 
author has consulted several authorities on the treatment of 
typhus, and finds that the use of the lancet is invariably rec- 
ommended. We do not expect to find, among our American 
farmers, any one so reckless, so lost to the common feelings 
of humanity, and his own interest, as to follow out the direc- 
tions here given by Dr. B. ; still blood-letting is practised, to 
some extent, in every section of the Union, and will continue 
to be the sheet-anchor of the cattle doctor just so long as the 
influential and cattle-rearing community shall be kept in dark- 
ness as to its destructive tendency. Unfortunately for the 
poor dumb brute, veterinary writers have from time immemo- 
rial been uncompromising advocates for bleeding ; and through 
the influence which their talents and position confer, they 
have wielded the medical sceptre with a despotism worthy of 
a better cause. It were a bootless task to attempt to reform 
the disciples of allopathy ; for, if you deprive them of the 
lancet, and their materia medica of poisons, they cannot 
practise. They must be reformed through public opinion ; 
and for this purpose we publish our own experience, and that 



188 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

of others who have dared to assail allopathy, with the moral 
certainty that they would expose themselves to contempt, and 
be branded as " medical heretics." 

No treatment is scientific, in the estimation of some, unless 
it includes the lancet, firing-iron, setons, boring horns, cram- 
ming down salts by the pound, and castor oil by the quart. 
The object of this work is to correct this erroneous notion, 
and show the farming community that a safer and more effi- 
cient system of medication has just sprung into existence. 
When the principles of this reformed system of medication 
are understood and practised, then the veterinary science will 
be a very different thing from what it has heretofore been, 
and men will hail it as a blessing instead of a " curse." They 
will then know the power that really cures, and devise means 
of prevention. And here, reader, permit us to introduce the 
opinions of an able advocate of reform in human practice : * 
the same remarks apply to cattle : for they are governed by 
the same universal laws that we are, and whether we pre- 
scribe for a man or an ox, the laws of the animal economy 
are the same, and require that the same indications shall be 
fulfilled. 

"A little examination into the consequences of blood-let- 
ting will prove that, so far from its being beneficial, it is pro- 
ductive of the most serious effects. 

"Nature has endowed the animal frame with the power of 
preparing, from proper aliment, a certain quantity of blood. 
This vital fluid, subservient to nutrition, is, by the amazing 
structure of the heart and blood-vessels, circulated through 
the different parts of the system. A certain natural balance 
between what is taken in and what passes off by the several 
outlets of the body is, in a state of health, regularly pre- 
served. When this balance, so essential to health and life, is, 
contrary to the laws of the animal constitution, interrupted, 
either a deviation from a sound state is immediately per- 
ceived, or health from that moment is rendered precarious. 

* Dr. Beach. 



HORN AIL IN CATTLE. 189 

Blood-letting tends artificially to destroy the natural balance 
in the constitution." (For more important information on 
blood-letting, see the author's work on the Horse ; also page 
58 of the present volume.) 



HORN AIL IN CATTLE. 

On applying the hand to the horn or horns of a sick beast, 
an unnatural heat, or sometimes coldness, is felt : this enables 
us to judge of the degree of sympathetic disturbance. And 
here, reader, permit us to protest against a cruel practice, that 
is much in fashion, viz., that of boring the horns with a gim- 
let : for it does not mend the matter one jot, and at best it 
is only treating symptoms. The gimlet frequently penetrates 
the frontal sinuses which communicate with the nasal pas- 
sages, and where mucous secretion, if vitiated or tenacious, will 
accumulate. On withdrawing the gimlet, a small quantity of 
thick mucus, often blood, escapes, and the interested operator 
will probably bore the other horn. Now, it often happens 
that after the point of the gimlet has passed through one side 
of the horn and bony structure, it suddenly enters a sinus, and 
does not meet with any resistance until it reaches the oppo- 
site side. Many a " mare's nest " has been found in this 
way, usually announced as follows : " The horn is hollow ! " 
Again, in aged animals, the bony structure within the horn 
often collapses or shrinks, forming a sinus or cavity within the 
horn: by boring in a lateral direction, the gimlet enters it ; 
the horn is then pronounced hollow ! and, according to the 
usual custom, must be doctored. An abscess will sometimes 
form in the frontal sinuses, resulting from common catarrh or 
" hoose ; " the gimlet may penetrate the sac containing the 
pus, which thus escapes ; but it would escape, finally, through 
the nostrils, if it were let alone. Here, again, the " horns 
are diseased ; " and should the animal recover, (which it 



190 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

would, eventually, without any interference,) the recovery is 
strangely attributed to the boring process. An author, whose 
name has escaped our memory, recommends " cow doctors 
to carry a gimlet in their pocket." We say to such men, Lead 
yourselves not into temptation ! if you put a gimlet into your 
pocket, you will be very likely to slip it into the cow's horn. 
Some men have a kind of instinctive impulse to bore the 
cow's horns ; w>e allude to those who are unacquainted with 
the fact that " horn ail " is only a symptom of derangement. 
It is no more a disease of the horns than it is of the functions 
generally ; for if there be an excess or deficiency of vital ac- 
tion within or around the base of the horn, there must be a 
corresponding deficiency or excess, as the case may be, in 
some other region. 

" Horn ail," as it is improperly termed, we have said, may 
accompany common catarrh, also that of an epidemic form ; 
the horns will feel unnatural if there be a determination of 
blood to the head : this might be easily equalized by stimu- 
lating the external surface and extremities, at the same time 
giving antispasmodic teas and regulating the diet. The horns 
will feel cold whenever there is an unnatural distribution of 
the blood, and this may arise from exposure, or suffering the 
animal to wallow in filth. The author has been consulted in 
many cases of " horn ail," in several of which there were 
slow fecal movements, or constipation ; the conjunctiva of 
the eyes were injected with yellow fluid, and of course a 
deficiency of bile in the abomasum, or fourth stomach ; thus 
plainly showing that the animals were laboring under derange- 
ment of the digestive organs. Our advice was, to endeavor 
to promote a healthy action through the whole system ; to 
stimulate the digestive organs ; to remove obstructions, both 
by injection, if necessary, and by the use of aperients : lastly, 
to invite action to the extremities, by stimulating liniments. 
Whenever these indications are fulfilled, " horn ail " soon dis- 
appears. 



ABORTION IN COWS. 191 



ABORTION IN COWS. 

Cows are particularly liable to the accident of " slinking 
the calf." The common causes of abortion are, the respira- 
tion and ultimate absorption of emanations from putrid ani- 
mal remains, miasmata, over-feeding, derangement of the 
stomach, &c. The filthy, stagnant water they are often com- 
pelled to drink is likewise a serious cause, not only of abor- 
tion, but also of general derangement of the animal functions. 
Dr. White, V. S., tells us that "a farm in England had been 
given up three successive times in consequence of the loss 
the owners sustained by abortion in their cattle. At length 
the fourth proprietor, after suffering considerably in losses oc- 
casioned by abortion in his stock, suspected that the water of 
his ponds, which was extremely filthy, might be the cause of 
the mischief. He therefore dug three wells upon his farm, 
and, having fenced round the pond to prevent the cattle from 
drinking there, caused them to be supplied with the well 
water, in stone troughs erected for the purpose ; and from 
this moment the evil was remedied, and the quality of the 
butter and cheese made on his farm was greatly improved. 
In order to show," says the same author, "that the accident 
of abortion may arise from a vitiated state of the digestive 
organs, I will here notice a few circumstances tending to cor- 
roborate this opinion. In 1782, all the cows of the farmer 
D'Euruse, in Picardy, miscarried. The period at which they 
warped was about the fourth or fifth month. The accident 
was attributed to the excessive heat of the preceding sum- 
mer ; but, as the water they were in the habit of drinking was 
extremely bad, and they had been kept on oat, wheat, and 
rye straw, it appears to me more probable, that the great quan- 
tity of straw they were obliged to eat, in order to obtain suf- 
ficient nourishment, and the injury sustained by the third 
stomach in expressing the fluid parts of the masticated or ru- 
minated mass, together with the large quantity of water they 



192 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

drank, while kept on this dry food, were the real causes of 
the miscarriage. 

" A farmer at Chariton, out of a dairy of twenty-eight cows, 
had sixteen slip their calves at different periods of gestation. 
The summer had been very dry ; they had been pastured in 
a muddy place, which was flooded by the Seine. Here the 
cows were generally up to their knees in mud and water. In 
1789, all the cows in a village near Mantes miscarried. All 
the lands in this place were so stiff as to be, for some time, 
impervious to water ; and as a vast quantity of rain fell that 
year, the pastures were for a time completely inundated, on 
which account the grass became bad. This proves that keep- 
ing cows on food that is deficient in nutritive properties, and 
difficult of digestion, is one of the principal causes of miscar- 
riage." Mr. Youatt says, "It is supposed that the sight of a 
slipped calf, or the smell of putrid animal substances, are apt 
to produce warping. Some curious cases of abortion, which 
are worthy of notice, happened in the dairy of a French farm- 
er. For thirty years his cows had been subject to abortion. 
His cow-house was large and well ventilated ; his cows were 
in apparent health ; they were fed like others in the village • 
they drank the same water ; there was nothing different in 
the pasture ; he had changed his servants many times in the 
course of thirty years j he pulled down the barn and cow- 
house, and built another, on a different plan ; he even, agreea- 
bly to superstition, took away the aborted calf through the 
window, that the curse of future abortion might not be entailed 
on the cow that passed over the same threshold. To make 
all sure, he had broken through the wall at the end of the 
cow-house, and opened a new door. But still the trouble con- 
tinued. Several of his cows had died in the act of abortion, 
and he had replaced them by others ; many had been sold, 
and their vacancies filled up. He was advised to make a thor- 
ough change. This had never occurred to him ; but at once 
he saw the propriety of the counsel. He sold every beast, 
and the pest was stayed, and never appeared in his new 
stock. This was owing, probably, to sympathetic influence : 



ABORTION IN COWS. 193 

the result of such influence is as fatal as the direst conta- 
gion." 

My own opinion of this disease is, that it is one of nervous 
origin ; that there is a loss of equilibrium between the nerves 
of voluntary and involuntary motion. The direct causes of 
this pathological state exist in any thing that can derange the 
organs of digestion. Great sympathy is known to exist be- 
tween the organs of generation and the stomach : if the latter 
be deranged, the former feels a corresponding influence, and 
the sympathetic nerves are the media by which the change 
takes place. 

It invariably follows that, as soon as impregnation takes 
place, the stomach from that moment takes on an irritable state, 
and is more susceptible to the action of unfavorable agents. 
Thus the odor of putrid substances causes nausea or relaxa- 
tion when the animal is in a state of pregnancy ; otherwise, 
the same odor would not affect it in the least. Professor Cur- 
tis says, " The nervous system constitutes the check lines by 
which the vital spirit governs, as a coachman does his horses, 
the whole motive apparatus of the animal economy ; that 
every line, or pencil, or ganglion of lines, in it, is antagonistic 
to some other line or ganglion, so that, whenever the function 
of one is exalted, that of some other is depressed. It follows, 
of course, that to equalize the nervous action, and to sustain 
the equilibrium, is one of the most important duties of the 
physician." 

In addition to the causes of abortion already enumerated, 
we may add violent exercise, jumping dikes or hedges, sud- 
den frights, and blows or bruises. 

Treatment. — When a cow has slipped her foetus, and ap- 
pears in good condition, the quantity of food usually given 
should be lessened. Give the following drink every night 
for a week : — 

Yalerian, (herb,) 1 ounce. 

Powdered skunk cabbage, . , 1 tea-spoonful. 
25 



194 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Steep in half a gallon of boiling water. When cold, strain 
and administer. 

Suppose the animal to be in poor condition ; then put her 
on a nourishing diet, and give tonics and stimulantsj as fol- 
lows : — 

Powdered gentian, 1 ounce. 

" sassafras, 1 ounce. 

Linseed or flaxseed, 1 pound. 

Mix. Divide into six portions, and give one, night and 
morning, in the food, which ought to consist of scalded meal 
and shorts. A sufficient quantity of hay should be allowed ; 
yet grass will be preferable, if the season permits. 

Suppose the animal to have received an injury; then rest 
and a scalded diet are all that are necessary. As a means of 
prevention, see article Feeding, page 17. 



COW-POX. 



This malady makes its appearance on the cow's teats in 
the form of small pustules, which, after the inflammatory 
stage, suppurate. A small quantity of matter then escapes, 
and forms a crust over the circumference of each pustule. If 
the crust be suffered to remain until new skin is formed be- 
neath, they will heal without any interference. It often hap- 
pens, however, that, in the process of milking, the scabs are 
rubbed off. The following wash must then be resorted to : — 

Pyroligneous acid, a wine-glass. 

Water, . 1 pint. 

Wet the parts two or three times a day ; medicine is unne- 
cessary. A few meals of scalded food will complete the cure. 



MANGE. 195 



MANGE. 



" Mange may be generated either from excitement of the 
skin itself, or through the medium of that sympathetic influ- 
ence which is known to exist between the skin and organs 
of digestion. We have, it appears to me, an excellent illus- 
tration of this in the case of mange supervening upon poverty 
— -a fact too notorious to be disputed, though there may be 
different ways of theorizing on it." 

Mr. Blanie says, " Mange has three origins — filth, debility, 
and contagion." 

Treatment. — Rid the system of morbific materials with 
the following : — 

Powdered sassafras, 2 ounces. 

" charcoal, ....... a handful. 

Sulphur, 1 ounce. 



Mix, and divide into six parts ; one to be given in the 
feed, night and morning. The daily use of the following 
wash will then complete the cure, provided proper attention 
be paid to the diet. 

Wash for Mange. 

Pyroligneous acid, 4 ounces. 

Water, a pint. 

The mange is known to be infectious : this suggests the 
propriety of removing the animal from the rest of the herd. 



196 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



HIDE-BOUND. 

This is seldom, if ever, a primary disease. The known 
sympathy existing between the digestive organs and the skin 
enables us to trace the malady to acute or chronic indi- 
gestion. 

Treatment. — The indications to be fulfilled are, to invite 
action to the surface by the aid of warmth, moisture, friction, 
and stimulants, to tone up the digestive organs, and relax the 
whole animal. The latter indications are fulfilled by the use 
of the following : — 

Powdered balmony, (snakehead,) . . 2 ounces. 

" sassafras, 1 ounce. 

Linseed, 2 pounds. 

Sulphur, 1 ounce. 

Mix together, and divide the mass into eight equal parts, 
and give one night and morning, in scalded shorts or meal ; 
the better way, however, is, to turn it down the throat. 

A few boiled carrots should be allowed, especially in the 
winter season, for they possess peculiar remedial properties, 
which are generally favorable to the cure. 



LICE. 

Treatment. — Wash the skin, night and morning, with the 
following : — . 

Powdered lobelia seeds, 2 ounces. 

Boiling water, 1 quart. 

After standing a few hours, it is fit for use, and can be ap- 
plied with a sponge. 



IMPORTANCE OF A HEALTHY STATE OF THE SKIN. 197 



IMPORTANCE OP KEEPING THE SKIN OP ANIMALS IN A 
HEALTHY STATE. 

This is a subject of great importance to the farmer ; for 
many of the diseases of cattle arise from the filthy, obstruct- 
ed state of the surface. This neglect of cleansing the hide 
of cattle arises, in some cases, from the absurd notion (often 
expressed to the author) that the hide of cattle is so thick and 
dense that they never sweat, except on the muzzle ! For the 
information of those who may have formed such an absurd 
and dangerous notion, we give the views of Professor Bou- 
ley. " In all animals, from the exterior tegumentary surface 
incessantly exhale vaporous or gaseous matters, the products 
of chemical operations going on in the interior of the organ- 
ism, of which the uninterrupted elimination is a necessary 
condition for the regular continuance of the functions. Re- 
garded in this point of view, the skin may be considered as a 
dependency of the respiratory apparatus, of which it contin- 
ues and completes the function, by returning incessantly to 
the atmosphere the combusted products, which are water and 
carbonic acid. 

" Therefore the skin, properly speaking, is an expiratory 
apparatus, which, under ordinary conditions of the organism, 
exhales, in an insensible manner, products analogous to those 
expired from the pulmonary surface ; with this difference, 
that the quantity of carbonic acid is very much less consider- 
able in the former than in the latter of these exhalations ; 
according to Burbach, the proportion of carbonic acid, as in- 
haled by the skin, being to that expired by the lungs as 350 
to 23,450, or as 1 to 67. 

" The experiments made on inferior animals, such as frogs, 
toads, salamanders, or fish, have demonstrated the waste by 
general transpiration to be, in twenty-four hours, little less 
than half the entire weight of the body." 

The same author remarks, " Direct experiment has shown, 



198 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

in the clearest manner, the close relation of function existing 
between the perspiratory and respiratory membranes." 

" M. Fourcault, with a view of observing, through different 
species of animals, the effect of the suppression of perspira- 
tion, conceived the notion of having the skins of certain live 
animals covered with varnish. After having been suitably 
prepared, some by being plucked, others by being shorn, he 
smeared them with varnish of variable composition ; the sub- 
stances employed being tar, paste, glue, pitch, and other plas- 
tic matters. Sometimes these, one or more of them, were 
spread upon parts, sometimes upon the whole of the body. 
The effects of the operation have varied, showing themselves, 
soon or late afterwards, decisively or otherwise, according as 
the varnishing has been complete or general, or only partial, 
thick, thin, &c. In every instance, the health of the animal 
has undergone strange alterations, and life has been grievously 
compromised. Those that have been submitted to experi- 
ment under our eyes have succumbed in one, two, three 
days, and even at the expiration of some hours." (See Lon- 
don Yeterinarian for 1850, p. 353.) 

In a subsequent number of the same work we find the sub- 
ject resumed ; from which able production we select the fol- 
lowing : — 

" The suppression of perspiration has at all times been 
thought to have a good deal to do with the production of 
disease. Without doubt this has been exaggerated. But, 
allowing this exaggeration, is it not admitted by all practi- 
tioners that causes which act through the medium of the skin 
are susceptible, in sufficient degree, of being appreciated in 
the circumstances ushering in the development of very many 
diseases, especially those characterized by any active flux of 
the visceral organs ? For example, is it not an incontestable 
pathological fact, that catarrhal, bronchial, pulmonic, and 
pleuritic affections, congestions of the most alarming descrip- 
tion in the vascular abdominal system of the horse, inflam- 
mation of the peritoneum and womb following labor, ca- 



IMPORTANCE OF A HEALTHY STATE OF THE SKIN. 199 

tarrhal inflammations of the bowels, even congestions of the 
feet, &c, derive their origin, in a great number of instances, 
from cold applied to the skin in a state of perspiration? 
What happens in the organism after the application of such a 
cause ? Is its effect instantaneous ? Let us see. Immedi- 
ately on the repercussive action of cold being felt by the skin, 
the vascular system of internal parts finds itself filled with 
repelled blood. Though this effect, however, be simply hy- 
drostatic, the diseased phenomena consecutive on it are far 
otherwise. 

"It is quite certain that, in the immense system of com- 
municating vessels forming the circulating apparatus, when- 
ever any large quantity of blood flows to any one particular 
part of the body, the other vessels of the system must be 
comparatively empty.* The knowledge of this organic hy- 
drostatic fact it is that has given origin to the use of revul- 
sives under their various forms, and we all well know how 
much service we derive from their use. 

" But in what does this diseased condition consist ? Where- 
abouts is it seated ? 

" The general and undefined mode it has of showing its 
presence in the organism points this out. Immediately sub- 
sequent to the action of the cause, the actual seat of the gen- 
erative condition of the disease about to appear is the blood ; 
this fluid it is which, having become actually modified in its 
chemical compositions under the influence of the cause that 
has momentarily obstructed the cutaneous exhalations, carries 
about every where with it the disordered condition, and ulti- 
mately giving rise, through it, to some local disease, as a sort 
of eruptive effort, analogous in its object, but often less salu- 
tary in its effect ; owing to the functional importance of the 
part attacked, to the external eruptions produced by the pres- 

* What a destructive system, then, must blood-letting be, which proposes 
to supply this deficiency in the empty vessels by opening 1 a vein and suffer- 
ing the contents of the overcharged vessels to fall to the ground ! If the 
blood abstracted from the full veins could be returned into those " empty " 
ones, then there would be some sense in blood-letting. 



200 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

ence in the blood of virus, which alters both its dynamic and 
chemical properties. 

" But what is the nature of this alteration ? In this case, 
every clew to the solution of this question fails us. We know 
well, when the experiment is designedly prolonged, the blood 
grows black, as in asphyxia, (loss of pulse,) through the com- 
bination with it of carbonic acid, whose presence is opposed 
to the absorption of oxygen. But what relation is there be- 
tween this chemical alteration of blood here and the modifi- 
cations in composition it may undergo under the influence of 
instantaneous suppression, but not persistent, of the cutaneous . 
exhalations and secretions ? The experiments of Dr. Four- 
cault tend, on the whole, to explain this. His experiments 
discover the primitive form and almost the nature of the 
alteration the blood undergoes under the influence of the ces- 
sation of the functions of the skin. They demonstrate that 
under these conditions the regularity of the course of this 
fluid is disturbed — that it has a tendency to accumulate and 
stagnate within the internal organs : witness the abdominal 
pains so frequently consequent on the application of plasters 
upon the skin, and the congestions of the abdominal and pul- 
monary vascujar systems met with almost always on opening 
animals which have been suffocated through tar or pitch 
plasters. 

" They prove, in fact, the thorough aptitude of impression 
of the nervous system to blood altered in its chemical prop- 
erties, while they afford us an explication of the phenomena 
of depression, and muscular prostration, and weakness, which 
accompany the beginning of disease consecutive on the oper- 
ation of cold. 

" How often do we put a stop to the ulterior development 
of disease by restoring the function of the skin by mere [dry] 
friction, putting on thick clothing, exposing to exciting fumi- 
gation, applying temporary revulsives in the shape of mus- 
tard poultices, administering diffusible stimuli made warm in 
drenches, trying every means to force the skin, and so tend, 
by the reestablishment of its exhalent functions, to permit 



SPAYING COWS. 201 

the elimination of blood saturated with carbonic matters op- 
posed to the absorption by it of oxygen ! 

" Do we not here perceive, so to express ourselves, the' evil 
enter and depart through the skin ? 

" M. Roche-Lubin gives an account of some lambs which 
were exposed, after being shorn, to a humid icy cold succeed- 
ing upon summer heat. These animals all died ; and their 
post mortem examination disclosed nothing further than a 
blackened condition of blood throughout the whole circulat- 
ing system, with stagnation in some organs, such as the liver, 
the spleen, or abdominal vascular system. 

" From the foregoing disclosures, which might be multi- 
plied if there was need of it, we learn that the regularity or 
perversion of the functions of the skin exercises an all-power- 
ful influence over the conservation or derangement of the 
health, and that very many diseases can be traced to no other 
origin than the interruption, more or less, of these functions." 

These remarks are valuable, inasmuch as they go to prove 
the importance, in the treatment of disease, of a restoration 
of the lost function. Our system of applying friction, warmth, 
and moisture to the external surface, in all cases of internal 
disease, here finds, in the authors just quoted, able advocates. 



SPAYING COWS. 



The castration of cows has been practised for several 
years in different parts of the world, with such remarkable 
success, that no one will doubt there are advantages to be 
derived from it. For the benefit of those who may have 
doubts on this subject, we give the opinions of a committee 
appointed by the Rheims Academy to investigate the matter. 

" To the question put to the committee — 

" 1st. Is the spaying of cows a dangerous operation ? 

" The answer is, This operation, in itself, involves no more 
26 



202 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

danger than many others of as bold a character, (as puncture 
of the rumen,) which are performed without accident by men 
even strangers to the veterinary art. Two minutes suffice for 
the extraction of the ovaries ; two minutes more for suturing 
the wound. 

" 2dly. Will not the spaying of cows put an end to the pro- 
duction of the species ? 

" Without doubt, this is an operation which must be kept 
within bounds. It is in the vicinity of large towns that most 
benefit will be derived from it, where milk is most generally 
sought after, and where pasturage is scanty, and consequently 
food for cows expensive. On this account it is not the prac- 
tice to raise calves about the environs of Paris. Indeed, at 
Cormenteul, near Rheims, out of one hundred and forty-five 
cows kept, not more than from ten to fifteen calves are pro- 
duced yearly. 

" 3dly. Is spaying attended with amelioration of the quality 
of the meat ? 

u That cows fatten well after being spayed is an incontesta- 
ble fact, long known to agriculturists. 

" 4thly. Does spaying prolong the period of lactation, and 
increase the quantity of milk ? 

" The cow will be found to give as much milk after eigh- 
teen months as immediately after the operation ; and there 
was found in quantity, in favor of the spayed cows, a great 
difference. 

" 5thly. Is the quality of the milk ameliorated by spaying? 

" To resolve this question, we have thought proper to make 
an appeal to skilful chemists resident in the neighborhood ; 
and they have determined that the milk abounds more by one 
third in cheese and butter than that of ordinary cows." 

Mr. Percival says, " No person hesitates to admit the ad- 
vantages derivable from the castration of bulls and stallions. 
I do not hesitate to aver, that equal, if not double, advantages 
are to be derived from the same operation when performed on 
cows." 

f.f It is to America we are indebted for this discovery. In 



SPAYING COWS. 203 

1832, an American traveller, a lover of milk, no doubt, asked 
"for some of a farmer at whose house he was. Surprised at 
finding at this farm better milk than he had met with else- 
where, he wished to know the reason of it. After some hesi- 
tation, the farmer avowed, that he had been advised to perform 
on his cows the same operation as was practised on the bulls. 
The traveller was not long in spreading this information. The 
Veterinary Society of the country took up the discovery, when 
it got known in America. The English — those ardent ad- 
mirers of beefsteaks and roast beef- — profited by the new 
procedure, as they know how to turn every thing to account, 
and at once castrated their heifers, in order to obtain a more 
juicy meat. 

" The Swiss, whose principal employment is agricultural, 
had the good fortune to possess a man distinguished in his art, 
who foresaw, and was anxious to realize, the advantages of 
castrating milch cows. M. Levrat, veterinary surgeon at Lau- 
sanne, found in the government of his country an enlightened 
assistant in his praiseworthy and useful designs, so that, at 
the present day, instructions in the operation of spaying enter 
into the requirements of the programme of the professors of 
agriculture, and the gelders of the country are not permitted 
to exercise their calling until they have proved their qualifi- 
cations on the same point." — London Vet. p. 274, 1850. 

For additional evidence in favor of spaying, see Albany Cul- 
tivator, p. 145, vol. vi. 

We have conversed with several farmers in this section of 
the United States, and find, as a general thing, that they labor 
under the impression that spaying is chiefly resorted to with 
a view of fattening cattle for the market. We have, on all 
occasions, endeavored to correct this erroneous conclusion, 
and at the same time to point out the benefits to be derived 
from this practice. The quality of the milk is superior, and 
the quantity is augmented. Many thousands of the miserable 
specimens of cows, that the farmer, with all his care, and having, 
at the same time an abundance of the best kind of provender, 
is unable to fatten, might, after the operation of spaying, be 



204 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

easily fattened, and rendered fit for the market ; or, if they 
shall have had calves, they may be made permanent, and, of 
course, profitable milkers. 

If a cow be in a weak, debilitated state, or, in other words, 
"out of condition," she may turn out to be a source of great 
loss to the owner. In the first place, her offspring will be 
weak and inefficient ; successive generations will deteriorate ; 
and if the offspring be in a close degree of relationship, they 
will scarcely be worth the trouble of rearing. The spaying 
of such a cow, rather than she shall give birth to weak and 
worthless offspring, would be a great blessing ; for then one 
of the first causes of degeneracy in live stock will have been 
removed. 

Again, a cow in poor condition is a curse to the farmer ; 
for she is often the medium through which epidemics, infec- 
tious diseases, puerperal fever, &c, are communicated to other 
stock. If there are such diseases in the vicinity, those in poor 
flesh are sure to be the first victims ; and they, coming in con- 
tact with others laboring under a temporary indisposition, 
involve them in the general ruin. If prevention be cheaper 
than cure, — and who doubts it? — then the farmer should 
avail himself of the protection which spaying seems to hold 
out. 

OPERATION OF SPAYING. 

The first and mo,st important object in the successful per- 
formance of this operation is to secure the cow, so that she 
shall not injure herself, nor lie down, nor be able to kick or 
injure the operator. The most convenient method of secur- 
ing the cow is, to place her in the trevis ; * the hind legs 

* Although we recommend that cows be confined in the trevis for the 
purpose of performing this operation, it by no means follows that it cannot 
be done as well in other ways. In fact, the trevis is inadmissible where 
chloroform is used. The animal must be cast in order to use that agent 
with any degree of safety. If the trevis is not at hand, we should prefer 
to operate, having the cow secured to the floor, or held in that position by 
trusty assistants. We lately operated on a cow, the property of Mr. C. 



SPAYING COWS. 



20i 



should then be securely tied in the usual manner : the band 
used for the purpose of raising the hind quarters when being 
shod must be passed under the belly, and tightened just sufficient 
to prevent the animal lying down. Having secured the band 
in this position, we proceed, with the aid of two or more as- 
sistants, in case the animal should be irritable, to perform the 
operation. And here, for the benefit of that portion of our 
readers who desire to perform the operation secundum arte?n, 
we detail the method recommended by Morin, a French vet- 
erinary surgeon ; although it has been, and can again be, per- 
formed with a common knife, a curved needle, and a few 
silken threads to close the external wound. The author is 
acquainted with a farmer, now a resident of East Boston, who 
has performed this operation with remarkable success, both in 

Drake of Holliston, in this state, under very unfavorable circumstances ; yet, 
as will appear from the accompanying note, the cow is likely to do well, 
notwithstanding. The history of the case is as follows : We were sent for 
by Mr. D. to see a heifer having a swelling under the jaw, which proved to 
be a scirrhous gland. After giving our opinion and prescribing the usual 
remedies, the conversation turned upon spaying cattle ; and Mr. D. remarked 
that he had a five year old cow, on which we might, if we chose, operate. 
This we rather objected to at first, as the cow was in a state of plethora, 
and the stomach very much distended with food ; yet, as the owner appeared 
willing to share the responsibility, we consented to perform the operation. 
The cow was accordingly cast, in the usual manner, she lying on her right 
side, her head being firmly held'by an assistant. We then made an incision 
through the skin, muscles, and peritoneum. The hand was then introduced, 
and each ovary in its turn brought as near to the external wound as possible, 
and separated from its attachment with a button-pointed bistoury. The 
wound was then brought together with four interrupted sutures, and dressed 
as already described. Directions were given to keep the animal quiet, and 
on a light diet ; the calf, which was four weeks old, to suckle as usual. 
The operation was performed on the 17th of January, 1851, and on the 
27th, the following communication was received : — 

Dr. Dadd. 

Dear Sir : Agreeably to request, I will inform you as regards the cow. 
I must say that, so far as appearances are concerned, she is doing well. She 
has a good appetite, and chews her cud, and the wound is not swelled or in- 
flamed. Yours truly, C. DRAKE. 
Holliston, Jan. 27, 1851. 



206 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

this country and Scotland, with no other instruments than a 
common shoemaker's knife and a curved needle. The fact is, 
the ultimate success of the operation does not depend so much 
on the instruments as on the skill of the operator. If he is 
an experienced man, understands the anatomy of the parts, 
and is well acquainted, by actual experience, with the nature 
of the operation, then the instruments become a matter of 
taste. The best operators are those who devote themselves 
entirely to the occupation. (See Mr. Blane's account of 
his "first essay in firing," p. 85, note.) Morin advises us 
to secure the cow, by means of five rings, to the wall. (See 
Albany Cultivator, vol. vi. p. 244, 1850.) "The cow being 
conveniently disposed of, and the instruments and appliances, 
— such as curved scissors, upon a table, a convex-edged bis- 
toury, a straight one, and one buttoned at the point, suture 
needle filled with double thread of desired length, pledgets 
of lint of appropriate size and length, a mass of tow (in pled- 
gets) being collected in a shallow basket, held by an assistant. — 
we place ourselves opposite to the left flank, our back turned 
a little towards the head of the animal ; we cut off the hair 
which covers the hide in the middle of the flanks, at an equal 
distance between the back and hip, for the space of thirteen 
or fourteen centimetres in circumference ; this done, we take 
the convex bistoury, and place it open between our teeth, the 
edge out, the point to the left ; then, with both hands, we 
seize the hide in the middle of the flank, and form of it a 
wrinkle of the requisite elevation, and running lengthwise of 
the body. 

" We then direct an assistant to seize, with his right hand, 
the right side of this wrinkle. We then take the bistoury, 
and cut the wrinkle at one stroke through the middle : the 
wrinkle having been suffered to go down, a separation of the 
hide is presented of sufficient length to enable us to intro- 
duce the hand ; thereupon we separate the edges of the hide 
with the thumb and fore finger of the left hand, and, in like 
manner, we cut through the abdominal muscles, the iliac, 
(rather obliquely,) and the lumbar, (cross,) for a distance of 



SPAYING COWS. 207 

a centimetre from the lower extremity of the incision made 
in the hide : this done, armed with the straight bistoury, we 
make a puncture of the peritoneum, at the upper extremity 
of the wound ; we then introduce the buttoned bistoury, and 
we mo ve it obliquely from above to the lower part up to the 
termination of the incision made in the abdominal muscles. 
The flank being opened, we introduce the right hand into the 
abdomen, and direct it along the right side of the cavity of 
the pelvis, behind the paunch and underneath the rectum, 
where we find the horns of the uterus j after we have ascer- 
tained the position of these viscera, we search for the ovaries, 
which are at the extremity of the cornua, or horns, (fallopian 
tubes,) and when we have found them, we seize them be- 
tween the thumb and fore finger, detach them completely 
from the ligaments that keep them in their place, pull light- 
ly, separating the cord, and the vessels (uterine or fallopian 
tubes) at their place of union with the ovarium, by means 
of the nails of the thumb and fore finger, which presents 
itself at the point of touch ; in fact, we break the cord, and 
bring away the ovarium. 

" We then introduce again the hand in the abdominal cav- 
ity, and we proceed in the same manner to extract the other 
ovarium. 

" This operation terminated, we, by the assistance of a 
needle, place a suture of three or four double threads, waxed, 
at an equal distance, and at two centimetres, or a little less, 
from the lips of the wound ; passing it through the divided 
tissues, we move from the left hand with the piece of thread ; 
having reached that point, we fasten with a double knot ; we 
place the seam in the intervals of the thread from the right, 
and as we approach the lips of the wound, we fasten by a 
simple knot, being careful not to close too tightly the lower 
part of the seam, so that the suppuration, which may be estab- 
lished in the wound, may be able to escape. 

" The operation effected, we cover up the wound with a 
pledget of lint, kept in its place by three or four threads 
passed through the stitches, and all is completed. 



208 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

" It happens, sometimes, that in cutting the muscles of 
which we have before spoken, we cut one or two of the ar- 
teries, which bleed so much that there is necessity for a liga- 
ture before opening the peritoneal sac, because, if this precau- 
tion be omitted, blood will escape into the abdomen, and may 
occasion the most serious consequences." 

The best time for spaying cows, with a view of making 
them permanent milkers, is between the ages of five and 
seven, especially if they have had two or three calves. If 
intended to be fattened for beef, the operation should not be 
performed until the animal has passed its second year, nor 
after the twelfth. 

We usually prepare the animal by allowing a scalded mash 
every night, within a few days of the operation. The same 
precaution is observed after the operation. 

If, after the operation, the animal appears dull and irritable, 
and refuses her food, the following drink must be given : — 

Valerian, 2 ounces. 

Boiling water, 2 quarts. 

Set the mixture aside to cool. Then strain, and add infu- 
sion of marshmallows (see Appendix) one quart j which may 
be given in pint doses every two hours. 

If a bad discharge sets up from the wound, — but this will 
seldom happen, unless the system abounds in morbific materi- 
als, — then, in addition to the drink, wash the wound with 

Pyroligneous acid, 2 ounces. 

Water, 2 quarts. 

Mix. 



SHEEP. 



PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 

Many of the diseases to which sheep are subject can be 
traced to want of due care in their management. The com- 
mon practice of letting them range in marshy lands is one of 
the principal causes of disease. 

The feet of sheep are organized in such a manner as to be 
capable, when in a healthy state, of eliminating from the 
system a large amount of worn-out materials — excrementi- 
tious matter, which, if retained in the system, would be 
injurious. The direct application of cold tends to contract 
the mouths of excrementitious vessels, and the morbid matter 
accumulates. This is not all. There are in the system nu- 
merous outlets, — for example, the kidneys, lungs, surface*, 
feet, &c. The health of the animal depends on all these 
functions being duly performed. If a certain function be in- 
terrupted for any length of time, it is sure to derange the 
system. Diseases of the feet are very common in wet situa- 
tions, and are a source of great loss to the farming commu- 
nity. Hence it becomes a matter of great importance to 
know how to manage them so as to prevent diseases of the 
feet. 

Professor Simonds says, "No malady was probably so much 
feared by the agriculturist as the rot ; and with reason, for 
it was most destructive to his hopes. It was commonly be- 
lieved to be incurable, and therefore it was all important to 
27 



210 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

inquire into the causes which gave rise to it. Some pastures 
were notorious for rotting sheep ; on other lands, sheep, under 
all ordinary circumstances, were pastured with impunity ; but, 
as a broad principle, it might be laid down that an excess of 
moisture is prejudicial to the health of the animal. Sheep, 
by nature, are not only erratic animals, wandering over a 
large space of ground, but are also inhabitants of arid dis- 
tricts. The skill of man has increased and improved the 
breed, and has naturalized the animal in moist and temperate 
climates. But, nevertheless, circumstances now and then 
take place which show that its nature is not entirely changed ; 
thus, a wet season occurs, the animals are exposed to the de- 
bilitating effects of moisture, and the rot spreads among them 
to a fearful extent. The malady is not confined to England 
or to Europe ; it is found in Asia and Africa, and occurs also 
in Egypt on the receding of the waters of the Nile. 

" These facts are valuable, because they show that the 
cause of the disease is not local — that it is not produced by 
climate or temperature ; for it is found that animals in any 
temperature become affected, and on any soil in certain sea- 
sons. A great deal had been written on rot in sheep, which 
it were to be wished had not been. Many talented individu- 
als had devoted their time to its investigation, endeavoring to 
trace out a cause for it, as if it originated from one cause 
a*lone. But the facts here alluded to would show that it 
arose from more causes than one. He had mentioned the 
circumstance with regard to land sometimes producing rot, 
and sometimes not ; but he would go a step further, and ask, 
Was there any particular period of the year when animals 
were more subject to the attack ? Undoubtedly there was. 
In the rainy season, the heat and moisture combined would 
produce a most luxuriant herbage ; but that herbage would be 
deficient in nutriment, and danger would be run ; the large quan- 
tity of watery matter in the food acting as a direct excitement 
to the abnormal functions of the digestive organs. Early dis- 
turbance of the liver led to the accumulation of fat, (state of 
plethora;) consequently, an animal being l touched with the 



SHEEP. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 211 

rot ' thrived much more than usual. This reminded him that 
the celebrated Bake well was said to be in the habit of placing 
his sheep on land notorious for rotting them, in order to pre- 
vent other people from getting his stock, and likewise to 
bring them earlier to market for the butcher." 

Referring to diseases of the liver, Professor S. remarked, 
that " the bile m rot, in consequence of the derangement of 
the liver being continued, lost the property of converting the 
chymous mass into nutritious matter, and the animal fell away 
in condition. Every part of the system was now supplied 
with impure blood, for we might as well expect pure water 
from a poisoned fountain as pure blood when the secretion 
of bile was unhealthy. This state of the liver and the sys- 
tem was associated with the existence of parasites in the 
liver. 

" Some persons suppose that these parasites, which, from 
their particular form, were called flukes, were the cause of the 
rot. They are only the effect ; yet it is to be remembered 
that they multiply so rapidly that they become the cause of 
further diseased action. Sheep, in the earlier stages of the 
affection, before their biliary ducts become filled with flukes, 
may be restored ; but, when the parasites existed in abun- 
dance, there was no chance of the animal's recovery. Those 
persons who supposed flukes to be the cause of rot had, per- 
haps, some reason for that opinion. Flukes are oviparous ; 
their ova mingle with the biliary secretion, and thus find 
their way out of the intestinal canal into the soil ; as in the 
feculent matter of rotten sheep may be found millions of 
flukes. A Mr. King, of Bath, (England,) had unhesitatingly 
given it as his opinion that flukes were the cause of rot ; be- 
lieving that, if sheep were pastured on land where the ova 
existed, they would be taken up with the food, enter into the 
ramifications of the biliary ducts, and thus contaminate the 
whole liver. There appeared some ground for this assertion, 
because very little indeed was known with reference to the 
duration of life in its latent form in the egg. How long the 
eggs of birds would remain without undergoing change, if 



212 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

not placed under circumstances favorable to the development 
of life in a more active form, was undecided. It was the 
same with the ova of these parasites ; so long as they re- 
mained on the pasture they underwent no change ; but place 
them in the body of the animal, and subject them to the 
influence of heat, &c, then those changes would commence 
which ended in the production of perfect flukes. Take 
another illustration of the long duration of latent life : Wheat 
had been locked up for hundreds of years — nay. for thou- 
sands — in Egyptian mummies, without undergoing any 
change, and yet, when planted, had been found prolific. 

He was not, then, to say that rot was in all cases a 
curable affection ; but at the same time he was fully aware 
that many animals, that are now considered incurable, might 
be restored, if sufficient attention was given to them. About 
two years ago, he purchased seven or eight sheep, all of them 
giving indisputable proof of rot in its advanced stage. He 
intended them for experiment and dissection ; but as he did 
not require all of them, and during the winter season only he 
could dissect, he kept some till summer. They were sup- 
plied with food of nutritious quality, free from moisture ; 
they were also protected from all storms and changes of 
weather, being placed in a shed. The result was, that with- 
out any medicine, two of these rotten sheep quite recovered ; 
and when he killed them, although he found that the liver 
had undergone some change, still the animals would have 
lived on for years. Rot, in its advanced stage, was a disease 
which might be considered as analogous to dropsy. A serous 
fluid accumulates in various parts of the body, chiefly be- 
neath the cellular tissue ; consequently, some called it the 
water rot, others the fluke rot ; but these were merely indi- 
cations of the same disease in different stages. If flukes 
were present, it was evident that, in order to strike at the 
root of the malady, they must get rid of these entozoa, and 
that could only be effected by bringing about a healthy con- 
dition of the system. Nothing that could be done by the 
application of medicine would act on them to affect their 



SHEEP. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 213 

vitality. It was only by strengthening their animal powers 
that they were enabled to give sufficient tone to the system 
to throw off the flukes ; for this purpose many advocated salt. 
Salt was an excellent stimulative to the digestive organs, and 
might also be of service in restoring the biliary secretion, from 
the soda which it contained. So well is its stimulative action 
known, that some individuals always keep salt in the troughs 
containing the animal's food. This was a preventive, they 
had good proof, seeing that it mattered not how moist the soil 
might be in salt marshes ; no sheep were ever attacked by rot 
in them, whilst those sent there infected very often came back 
free. Salt, therefore, must not be neglected ; but then came 
the question, Could they not do something more ? He be- 
lieved they could give tonics with advantage 

" The principles he wished to lay down were, to husband 
the animals' powers by placing them in a situation where they 
should not be exposed to the debilitating effects of cold storms ; 
to supply them with nutritious food, and such as contained 
but a small quantity of water ; and, as a stimulant to the di- 
gestive organs, to mix it with salt." 

The remarks of Professor S. are valuable to the American 
farmer. First, because they throw some light on the charac- 
ter of a disease but imperfectly understood ; secondly, they 
recommend a safe, efficient, and common-sense method of 
treating it ; and lastly, they recommend such preventive meas- 
ures as, in this enlightened age, every farmer must acknowledge 
to be the better part of sheep doctoring. The reader will 
easily perceive the reason why the food of sheep is injurious 
when wet or saturated with its own natural juices, when he 
learns that the digestive process is greatly retarded, unless the 
masticated food be well saturated with the gastric fluid. If 
the gastric fluid cannot pervade it, then fermentation takes 
place ; by which process the nutritive properties of the food 
are partly destroyed, and what remains cannot be taken up 
before it passes from the vinous into the acetous or putre- 
factive fermentation ; the natural consequence is, that internal 
disease ensues, which often gravitates to the feet, thereby pro- 



214 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

ducing rot. This is not all. Such food does not furnish 
sufficient material to replenish the daily waste and promote the 
living integrity. In short, it produces debility, and debility 
includes one half the causes of disease. It must be a matter 
of deep interest to the farmer to know how to prevent disease 
in his flock, and improve their condition, &c. ; for if he pos- 
sessed the requisite knowledge, he would not be compelled to 
offer mutton at so low a rate as from three to four cents a 
pound, at which price it is often sold in the Boston market. 
We have already alluded to the fact that neat cattle can, with 
the requisite knowledge, be improved at least twenty-five per 
cent. ; and we may add, without fear of contradiction, that 
the same applies to sheep. If, then, their value can be in- 
creased in the same ratio as that of other classes of live stock, 
how much will the proprietors of sheep gain by the operation ? 
Suppose we set down the number of sheep in the United 
States at twenty-seven millions, — which will not fall far short 
of the mark, — and value them at the low price of one dollar 
per head : we get a clear gain, in the carcasses alone, of six 
millions seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The in- 
crease in the quantity, and of course in the value, of wool 
would pay the additional expenses incurred. It is a well- 
known fact that, when General Washington left his estate to 
engage in the councils of his country, his sheep then yielded 
five pounds of wool. At the time of his return, the animals 
had so degenerated as to yield but two and a half pounds per 
fleece. This was not altogether owing to the quality of 
their food, but in part to want of due care in breeding. 

It is well known that many diseases are propagated and 
aggravated through the sexual congress ; and no matter how 
healthy the dam is, or how much vital resistance she possesses, 
— if the male be weak and diseased, the offspring will be more 
or less diseased at birth. (See article Breeding.) 

Dr. Whitlaw observes, " The Deity has given power to 
man to ameliorate his condition, as may be truly seen by strict 
attention to the laws of nature. An attentive observer may 
soon perceive, that milk, butter, and meat, of animals that feed 



SHEEP. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 215 

on good herbage, in high and dry soils, are the best ; and that 
strong nourishment is the produce of those animals that feed 
on bottom land ; but those that feed on a marshy, wet soil 
produce more acrid food, even admitting that the herbage be 
of the bland and nutritious kind ; but if it be composed in 
part of poisonous plants, the sheep become diseased and rotten, 
much more so than cattle, for they do not drink to the same 
degree, and therefore (particularly those that chew the cud) 
are not likely to throw off the poison. Horses would be more 
liable to disease than cattle were it not for their sagacity in 
selecting the wholesome from the poisonous herbage. 

" A great portion of the mutton slaughtered is unfit for food, 
from the fact that their lungs are often in a state of decompo- 
sition, their livers much injured by insects, and their intes- 
tines in a state of ulceration, from eating poisonous herbs." 

Linnaeus says, " A dry place renders plants sapid ; a succu- 
lent place, insipid ; and a watery place, corrosive." 

One farmer, in the vicinity of Sherburne, (England,) had, 
during the space of a few weeks, lost nearly nine hundred 
sheep by the rot. The fear of purchasing diseased mutton is 
so prevalent in families, that the demand for mutton has be- 
come extremely limited. 

In the December number of the London Yeterinarian we 
find an interesting communicatiou from the pen of Mr. Tavis- 
tock, V. S., which will throw some light on the causes of 
disease in sheep. The substance of these remarks is as fol- 
lows : " On a large farm, situated in the fertile valley of the 
Tavey, is kept a large flock of sheep, choice and well bred. 
It is deemed an excellent sheep farm, and for some years no 
sheep could be healthier than were his flock. About eighteen 
months ago, however, some ewes were now and then found 
dead. This was attributed to some of the many maladies 
sheep-flesh is 'heir to,' and thought no more about. Still 
it did not cease ; another and another died, from time to time, 
until at length, it becoming a question of serious consequence, 
my attention was called to them. I made, as opportunities 
occurred, minute post mortem examinations. The sheep did 



216 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

not die rapidly, but one a week, and sometimes one a fort- 
night, or even three weeks. No previous illness whatever 
was manifested. They were always found dead in the atti- 
tude of sleep ; the countenance being tranquil and composed, 
not a blade of grass disturbed by struggling j nor did any cir- 
cumstance evidence that pain or suffering was endured. It 
was evident that the death was sudden. We fancied the ewes 
must obtain something poisonous from the herbage, and the 
only place they could get any thing different from the other 
sheep was in the orchards, since there the ewes went at the 
lambing time, and occasionally through the summer. But so 
they had done for years before, and yet contracted no disease. 
Well, then, the orchards were the suspected spots, and it was 
deemed expedient to request Mr. Bartlett, a botanist, to make 
a careful examination of the orchards, and give us his opinion 
thereon. The following is the substance of his report : — 

" The part of the estate to which the sheep unfortunately 
had access, where the predisposing causes of disease prevailed, 
was an orchard, having a gradual slope of about three quarters 
of a mile in extent, from the high ground to the bed of the 
river, ranging about east and west ; the hills on each side be- 
ing constituted of argillaceous strata of laminated slate, which, 
although having an angle of inclination favoring drainage on 
the slopes, yet in the valleys often became flat or horizontal, 
and on which also accumulated the clays, and masses of rock, 
in detached blocks, often to the depth of twenty feet — a state 
of things which gives the valley surface and soil a very rug- 
ged and unequal outline ; the whole, at the same time, offer- 
ing the greatest obstruction to regular drainage. 

" These are spots selected for orchard draining in England • 
the truth being lost sight of, that surfaces and soil for apple- 
tree growth require the most perfect admixture with atmos- 
pheric elements, and the freest outlet for the otherwise accu- 
mulating moisture, to prevent dampness and acidity, the result 
of the shade of the tree itself, produced by the fall of the leaf. 

" On this estate these things had never been dreamt of be- 
fore planting the orchards. The apple-tree, in short, as soon 



SHEEP. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 217 

as its branches and leaves spread with the morbid growth of 
a dozen years, aids itself in the destructive process j the soil 
becomes yearly more poisonous, the roots soon decay, and 
the tree falls to one side, as we witness daily, while the herb- 
age beneath and around becomes daily more unfit to sustain 
animal life. Numerous forms of poisonous fungi, microscopic 
and otherwise, are here at home, and nourished by the car- 
buretted and other forms of hydrogen gas hourly engendered 
and saturating the soil ; while on the dampest spots the less 
noxious portions of such hydrates are assimilated by the mint 
plant in the shape of oil ; and which disputes with sour, poi- 
sonous, and blossomless grasses for the occupancy of the sur- 
face, mingled with the still more noxious straggling forms of 
the ethusa, occasionally the angelica, vison, conium, &c. 

" This state of things, brought into existence by this 
wretched and barbarous mode of planting orchard valleys, 
usually reaches its consummation in about thirty years, and 
sometimes much less, as in the valley under notice. Thus it 
is that such spots, often the richest in capabilities on the es- 
tate, (the deep soil being the waste and spoil of the higher 
ground and slopes,) become a bane to every form of useful 
vegetation ; and, at the same time, are a hotbed of luxuriance 
to every thing that is poisonous, destructive, and deleterious 
to almost every form of animal life. And such an animal as 
the sheep, while feeding among such herbage, would inhale a 
sufficiency of noxious gases, especially in summer, through 
the nostrils alone, to produce disease even in a few hours, 
though the herbage devoured should lie harmless in the stom- 
ach. But with regard to the sheep in the present case, we 
fear they had no choice in the matter, and were driven by 
hunger to feed, being shut into these orchards ; and thus not 
only ate the poisoned grasses, but with every mouthful swal- 
lowed a portion of the water-engendering mint, the acrid 
crowfoot, ranunculus leaves, &c, surrounding every blade of 
grass ; while the other essential elements of vegetable poison, 
the most virulent forms of agarici and their spawn, with other 
destructive fungi, were swallowed as a sauce to the whole. 
28 



218 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

This fearful state of things, to which sheep had access, soon 
manifested its results j for although a hog or a badger might 
here fatten, yet to an animal so susceptible to atmospheric in- 
fluences, unwholesome, undrained land, &c, as the sheep, the 
organization forbids the assimilation of such food ; and al- 
though a process of digestion goes on, yet its hydrous results 
(if we may use such a term) not only overcharge the blood 
with serum, but, through unnatural channels, cause effusion 
into the chest, heart, veins, &c, when its effects are soon 
manifested in sudden and quick dissolution, being found dead 
in the attitude of sleep." 

It is probable that the gases which arose from this imper- 
fectly drained estate played their part in the work of destruc- 
tion ; not only by coming in immediate contact with the 
blood through the medium of the air-cells in the lungs, but 
by mixing with the food in the process of digestion. This 
may appear a new idea to those who have never given the 
subject a thought ; yet it is no less true. During the masti- 
cation of food, the saliva possesses the remarkable property 
of enclosing air within its globules. Professor Liebig tells 
us that " the saliva encloses air in the shape of froth, in a far 
higher degree than even soap-suds. This air, by means of 
the saliva, reaches the stomach with the food, and there its 
oxygen enters into combination, while its nitrogen is given 
out through the skin and lungs." This applies to pure air. 
Now, suppose the sheep are feeding in pastures notorious for 
giving out noxious gases, and at the same time the function 
of the skin or lungs is impaired ; instead of the " nitrogen " 
or noxious gases being set free, they will accumulate in the 
alimentary canal and cellular tissues, to the certain destruc- 
tion of the living integrity. Prof. L. further informs us that 
" the longer digestion continues, — that is, the greater resist- 
ance offered to the solvent action by the food, — ■ the more 
saliva, and consequently the more air, enter the stomach." 



SHEEP. STAGGERS. 219 



STAGGERS. 

This disease is known to have its origin in functional de- 
rangement of the stomach ; and owing to the sympathy that 
exists between the brain and the latter, derangements are 
often overlooked, until they manifest themselves by the ani- 
mal's appearing dull and stupid, and separating itself from 
the rest of the flock. An animal attacked with staggers is 
observed to go round in a giddy manner ; the optic nerve 
becomes paralyzed, and the animal often appears blind. It 
sometimes continues to feed well until it dies. 

Indications of Cure. — First, to remove the cause. If it 
exist in a too generous supply of food, reduce the quantity. 
If, on the other hand, the animal be in poor condition, a gen- 
erous supply of nutritious food must be allowed. 

Secondly, to impart healthy action to the digestive organs, 
and lubricate their surfaces. 

Having removed the cause, take 

Powdered snakeroot, .... 1 ounce. 
" slippery elm, ... 2 ounces. 

" fennel seed, .... half an ounce. 

Mix. Half a table-spoonful may be given daily in warm 
water, or it may be mixed in the food. 

Another. 

Powdered gentian, 1 ounce. 

" poplar bark, .... 2 ounces. 

" aniseed, half an ounce. 

Mix, and give as above. 

If the bowels are inactive, give a wine-glass of linseed oil. 

The animal should be kept free from all annoyance by 
dogs, &c. ; for fear indirectly influences the stomach through 
the pneumogastric nerves, by which the secretion of the gas- 
tric juice is arrested, and an immediate check is thus given 



220 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

to the process of digestion. For the same reason, medicine 
should always be given in the food, if possible. In cases of 
great prostration, accompanied with loss of appetite, much 
valuable time would be lost. In such cases, we must have 
recourse to the bottle. 



FOOT ROT 



When a sheep is observed to be lame, and, upon examina- 
tion, matter can be discovered, then pare away the hoof, and 
make a slight puncture, so that the matter may escape ; then 
wash the foot with the following antiseptic lotion : — 

Pyroligneous acid, 2 ounces. 

Water, 3 ounces. 

Suppose that, on examination, the feet have a fetid odor ; 
then apply the following : — 

Vinegar, half a pint. 

Common salt, 1 table-spoonful. 

Water, half a pint. 

Mix, and apply daily. At the same time, put the sheep in 
a dry place, and give a dose of the following every morn- 
ing : — 



rder 


ed bayberry bark, 


. . half an ounce. 


u 


flaxseed, . . 


. . 2 pounds. 


a 


sulphur, . . 


. . 1 ounce. 


ti 


charcoal, . . 


. 1 ounce. 


a 


sassafras, . . 


1 ounce. 



Mix. A handful to be given in the food twice a day. 

Remarks. — Foot rot is generally considered a local dis- 
ease ; yet should it be neglected, or maltreated, the general 
system will share in the local derangement. 



SHEEP. ROT. 221 



EOT. 



The progress of this disease is generally very slow, and a 
person unaccustomed to the management of sheep would find 
some difficulty in recognizing it. A practical eye would dis- 
tinguish it, even at a distance. The disease is known by one 
or more of the following symptoms : The animal often 
remains behind the flock, shaking its head, with its ears 
depressed ; it allows itself to be seized, without any resist- 
ance. The eye is dull and watery ; the eyelids are swollen ; 
the lips, gums, and palate have a pale tint ; the skin, which 
is of a yellowish white, appears puffed, and retains the im- 
pression ; the wool loses its brightness, and is easily torn off ; 
the urine is high colored, and the excrement soft. As the 
disease progresses, there is loss of appetite, great thirst, gen- 
eral emaciation, &c. 

The indications are, to improve the secretions, vitalize the 
blood, and sustain the living powers. For which purpose, 
take 

Powdered charcoal, 2 ounces. 

" ginger, 1 ounce. 

" golden seal, 1 ounce. 

Oatmeal, 1 pound. 

Mix. Feed to each animal a handful per day, unless rumi- 
nation shall have ceased ; then omit the oatmeal, and give a 
tea-spoonful of the mixed ingredients, in half a pint of 
hyssop, or horsemint tea. Continue as occasion may re- 
quire. 

The food should be boiled, if possible. The best kind, 
especially in the latter stages of rot, is, equal parts of linseed 
and ground corn. 

If the urine is high colored, and the animal is thirsty, give 
an occasional drink of 



222 AMERICAN REJFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Cleavers, (galium aparine,) .... 2 ounces. 
Boiling water, 2 quarts. 

When cold, strain. Dose, one pint. To be repeated, if 
necessary. 



EPILEPSY 



This is somewhat different from staggers, as the animal, 
does not remain quietly on the ground, but it suffers from 
convulsions, it kicks, rolls its eyes, grinds its teeth, &c. The 
duration of the fit varies much : sometimes it terminates at 
the expiration of a few minutes ; at other times, a quarter of 
an hour elapses before it is perfectly conscious. In this mal- 
ady, there is a loss of equilibrium between the nervous and 
muscular systems, which may arise from hydatids in the 
brain, offering mechanical obstructions to the conducting 
power of the nerves. This malady may attack animals in 
apparently good health. We frequently see children attacked 
with epilepsy (fits) without any apparent cause, and when 
they are in good flesh. 

The symptoms are not considered dangerous, except by 
their frequent repetition. 

The following may be given with a view of equalizing the 
circulation and nervous action : — 

Assafoetida, one third of a tea-spoonful. 

Gruel made from slippery elm, 1 pint. 

Mix, while hot. Repeat the dose every other day. Make 
some change in the food. Thus, if the animal has been fed 
on green fodder for any length of time, let it have a few 
meals of shorts, meal, linseed, &c. The water must be. of 
the best quality. 



SHEEP. RED WATER. 223 

Suppose the animal to be in poor condition ; then com- 
bine tonics and alteratives in the following form : — 

Assafoetida, 1 tea-spoonful. 

Powdered golden seal, ... 1 ounce. 

" slippery elm, ... 2 ounces. 

Oatmeal, 1 pound. 

Mix thoroughly, and divide into eight equal parts. A pow- 
der to be given every morning. 



RED WATER. 



This is nothing more nor less than a symptom of deranged 
function. The cure consists in restoring healthy action to 
all parts of the animal organization. For example, high-col- 
ored urine shows that there is too much action on the inter- 
nal surfaces, and too little on the external. This at once 
points to the propriety of keeping the sheep in a warm situa- 
tion, in order to invite action to the skin. 

Compound for Red Water. 
Powdered slippery elm, . . \ 

" pleurisy root, . . > of each, 1 ounce. 

" poplar bark, . . ) 
Indian meal, 1 pound. 

Mix. To be divided into ten parts, one of which may 
be given every morning. 



224 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



CACHEXY,* OR GENERAL DEBILITY. 

Indications of Cure. — First. To build up and promote 
the living integrity by a generous diet, one or more of the 
following articles may be scalded and given three times a 
day : carrots, parsnips, linseed, corn meal, &c. 

Secondly. To remove morbific materials from the system, 
and restore the lost functions, one of the following powders 
may be given, night and morning, in the fodder : — 

Powdered balmony, (snakehead,) . 1 ounce. 

" marshmallows, ... 1 ounce. 

" common salt, .... 1 table-spoonful. 

Linseed meal, 1 pound. 

Mix. Divide into ten powders. 



LOSS OF APPETITE. 



This is generally owing to a morbid state of the digestive 
organs. All that is necessary in such case is, to restore the 
lost tone by the exhibition of bitter tonics. A bountiful sup- 
ply of camomile tea will generally prove sufficient. If, 
however, the bowels are inactive, add to the above a small 
portion of extract of butternut. The food should be slightly 
salted. 



FOUNDERING, (RHEUMATISM.) 

In this malady, the animal becomes slow in its move- 
ments • its walk is characterized by rigidity of the muscular 

* It implies a vitiated state of the solids and fluids. 



SHEEP. SCAB, OR ITCH. 225 

system, and, when lying down, requires great efforts in order 
to rise. 

Causes. — Exposure to sudden changes in temperature, 
feeding on wet lands, &c. 

Indications of Cure. — To equalize the circulation, invite 
and maintain action to the external surface, and remove the 
cause. To fulfil the latter indication, remove the animal to 
a dry, warm situation. 

The following antispasmodic and diaphoretic will complete 
the cure : Powdered lady's slipper, (cypripedium,) 1 tea-spoon- 
ful. To be given every morning in a pint of warm penny- 
royal tea. 

If the malady does not yield in a few days, take 

Powdered sassafras bark, ... 1 tea-spoonful. 

Boiling water, . 1 pint. 

Honey, 1 tea-spoonful. 

Mix, and repeat the dose every other morning. 



TICKS. 



Ticks, or, in short, any kind of insects, may be destroyed 
by dropping on them a few drops of an infusion or tincture 
of lobelia seeds. 



SCAB, OR ITCH. 

Scab, itch, erysipelas, &c, all come under the head of 
cutaneous diseases, and require nearly the same general treat- 
ment. The following compound may be depended on as 
29 



226 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

a safe and efficient remedy in either of the above dis- 
eases : — 

Sulphur, 2 ounces. 

Powdered sassafras, 1 ounce. 

Honey, sufficient to amalgamate the above. Dose, a 
table-spoonful every morning. To prevent the sheep from 
rubbing themselves, apply 

Pyroiigneous acid, 1 gill. 

Water, 1 quart. 

Mix, and wet the parts with a sponge. 



Remarks. — In reference to the scab, Dr. Gunther says, 
" Of all the preservatives which have been proposed, inocula- 
tion is the best. It has two advantages : first, the disease so 
occasioned is much more mitigated, and very rarely proves 
fatal ; in the next place, an entire flock may get well from it 
in the space of fifteen days, whilst the natural form of the 
disorder requires care and attention for at least six months. 
It has been ascertained that the latter kills # more than one 
half of those attacked ; whilst among the sheep that have 
been inoculated, the greatest proportion that die of it is one 
per cent." 

Whenever the scab makes its appearance, the whole flock 
should be examined, and every one having the least abrasion 
or eruption of the skin should be put under medical treatment. 

In most cases, itch is the result of infection. A single 
sheep infected with it is sufficient to infect a whole flock. 
If a few applications of the pyroiigneous wash, aided by the 
medicine, are not sufficient to remove the malady, then re- 
course must be had to the following : — 

Fir balsam, half a pint. 

Sulphur, 1 ounce. 

Mix. Anoint the sores daily. 

* More likely the remedies. They are tobacco and corrosive sublimate 
— destructive poisons. 



SHEEP. DYSENTERY. 227 

The only additional treatment necessary in erysipelas is, to 
give a bountiful supply of tea made of lemon balm, sweet- 
ened with honey. 



DIARRHffiA 



This is not always to be considered as a disease, but in 
many cases it proves a salutary operation of nature ; there- 
fore it should not be too suddenly checked. 

We commence the treatment by feeding on boiled meal. 
We then give mucilaginous drink made from marshmallows, 
slippery elm, or poplar bark. If, at the end of two days, 
symptoms of amendment have not made their appearance, 
the following draught, must be given : — 

Make a strong infusion of raspberry leaves, to a pint of 
which add a tea-spoonful of tincture of capsicum, (hot drops,) 
and one of charcoal. To be repeated every morning, until 
healthy action is established. 



DYSENTERY 



This malady may be treated in the same manner as diar- 
rhoea. Should blood and slime be voided in large quantities, 
the excrement emit a fetid odor, and the animal waste rapid- 
ly, then, in addition to the mucilaginous drink, administer the 
following : — 

Powdered charcoal, 1 tea-spoonful. 

" golden seal, .... half a tea-spoonful. 

To be given, in hardhack tea, as occasion may require. 
A small quantity of charcoal, given three times a day, 
with boiled food, will frequently cure the disease, alone. 



228 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Dysentery is sometimes mistaken for diarrhoea ; but they 
may be distinguished by the following characteristics : — 

1st. Diarrhoea most frequently attacks weak animals ; 
whereas dysentery ofttimes attacks animals in good con- 
dition. 

2d. Dysentery generally attacks sheep in the hot months ; 
on the other hand, diarrhoea terminates at the commencement 
of the hot season. 

3d. In diarrhoea, there are scarcely any feverish symptoms, 
and no straining before evacuation, as in dysentery. 

4th. In diarrhoea, the excrement is loose, but in other respects 
natural, without any blood or slime ; whereas in dysentery 
the fasces consist of hard lumps, blood, and slime. 

5th. There is not that degree of fetor in the faeces, in di- 
arrhoea, which takes place in dysentery. 

6th. In dysentery, the appetite is totally gone ; in diarrhoea, 
it is generally better than usual. 

7th. Diarrhoea is not contagious ; dysentery is supposed to 
be highly so. 

8th. In dysentery, the animal wastes rapidly ; but by diar- 
rhoea, only a temporary stop is put to thriving, after which it 
makes rapid advances to strength, vigor, and proportion. 



CONSTIPATION, OR STRETCHES. 

By these terms are implied a preternatural or morbid de- 
tention and hardening of the excrement ; a disease to which 
all animals are subject, unless proper attention be paid to their 
management. It mostly arises from want of exercise, feed- 
ing on frosted oats, indigestible matter of every kind, impure 
water, &c. Costiveness is often the cause of flatulent and 
spasmodic colic, and often of inflammation of the bowels. 

Mr. Morrill says, " I have always found that the quantity 
of medicine necessary to act as an opiate on this dry mass 



SHEEP. CONSTIPATION, OR STRETCHES. 229 

[alluding to that found in the many plus and intestines] will 
kill the animal. If I am mistaken, I will take it kindly to be 
set right." You are quite right. 

Let us see what Professor J. A. Gallup says, in his Insti- 
tutes of Medicine, vol. ii. p. 187. " The practice of giving 
opiates to mitigate pain, &c, is greatly to be deprecated ; it 
is not only unjustifiable, but should be esteemed unpardona- 
ble. It is probable that, for forty years past, opium and its 
preparations have done seven times the injury that they have 
rendered benefit " — killed seven where they have saved one ! 
Page 298, he calls opium the "most destructive of all nar- 
cotics," and wishes he could " speak through a lengthened 
trumpet, that he might tingle the ears " of those who use 
and prescribe it. All the opiates used by the allopathists 
contain more or less of this poisonous drug. Opiates given 
with a view of softening the mass alluded to will certainly 
disappoint those who administer them ; for, under the use of 
such " palliatives, " the digestive powers fail, and a general 
state of feebleness and inactivity ensues, which exhausts the 
vital energies. 

It will be found in stretches, that other organs, as well as 
the " manyplus," are not performing their part in the business 
of physiological or healthy action, and they must be excited 
to perform their work ; for example, if the food remains in 
either of the stomachs in the form of a hard mass, then the 
surface of the body is evaporating too much moisture from 
the general system ; the skin should be better toned. Pure 
air is one of the best and most valuable of nature's tonics. 
Let the flock have pure air to breathe, and sufficient room to 
use their limbs, with proper diet, and there will be little occa- 
sion for medicine. 

Treatment. — The disease is to be obviated by proper at- 
tention to diet, exercise, and ventilation ; and when these fail, 
to have recourse to bitter laxatives, injections, and aperients. 
The use of salts and castor oil creates a necessity for their 
repetition, for they overwork the mucous surfaces, and their 



230 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

delicate vessels lose t?ieir natural sensibility, and become 
torpid. Scalded shorts are exceedingly valuable in this com- 
plaint, as also are boiled carrots, parsnips, &c. 

The derangement must be treated according to its indica- 
tions, thus : — 

Suppose the digestive organs to be deranged, and rumina- 
tion to have ceased ; then take a tea-spoonful of extract of 
butternut, and dissolve it in a pint of thoroughwort tea, and 
give it at a dose. Use an injection of soap-suds, if necessary. 

Suppose the excrement to be hard, coated with slime, and 
there be danger of inflammation in the mucous surfaces ; then 
give a wine-glass of linseed oil,* to which add a raw egg. 

It is scarcely ever necessary to repeat the dose, provided 
the animal is allowed a few scalded shorts. 

If the liver is supposed to be inactive, give, daily, a tea- 
spoonful of golden seal in the food. 

If the animal void worms with the fasces, then give a tea 
made from cedar boughs, or buds, to which add a small quan- 
tity of salt. 



SCOURS 



In scours, the surface evaporates too little of the moisture, 
and should be relaxed by diffusible stimulants in the form of 
ginger tea. The treatment that we have found the most suc- 
cessful is as follows : take four ounces raw linseed oil, two 
ounces of lime water ; mix. Let this quantity be given to a 
sheep on the first appearance of the above disease ; half the 
quantity will suffice for a lamb. Give about a wine-glass full 
of ginger tea at intervals of four hours, or mix a small quan- 
tity of ginger in the food. Let the animal be fed on gruel, 
or mashes of ground meal. If the above treatment fails to 
arrest the disease, add half a tea-spoonful of powdered bay- 

* Olive oil will answer the same purpose. 






SHEEP. DIZZINESS. 231 

berry bark. If the extremities are cold, rub them with the 
tincture of capsicum. 



DIZZINESS. 



Mr. Gunther says, " Sheep are often observed to describe 
eccentric circles for whole hours, then step forwards a pace, 
then again stop, and turn round again. The older the dis- 
ease, the more the animal turns, until at length it does it even 
in a trot. The appetite goes on diminishing, emaciation be- 
comes more and more perceptible, and the state of exhaustion 
terminates in death. On opening the skull, there are met, 
either beneath the bones of the cranium, or beneath the dura 
mater,* or in the brain itself, hydatids varying in number and 
size, sometimes a single one, often from three to six, the size 
of which varies : according as these worms occupy the right 
side or the left, the sheep turns to the right or left ; but if 
they exist on both sides, the turning takes place to the one 
and the other alternately. 

" The animal very often does not turn, which happens when 
the worm is placed on the median line ; then the affected ani- 
mal carries the head down, and though it seems to move rap- 
idly, it does not change place. When the hydatid is situated 
on the posterior part of the brain, the animal carries the head 
high, runs straight forward, and throws itself on every object 
it meets." 

Treatment. — Take 

Powdered worm seeds, (chenopodium ) ., 

, 7 . . s ■ ( 1 ounce. 

anthelminticum,) . . £ 

" sulphur, half an ounce. 

" charcoal, 2 ounces. 

Linseed, or flaxseed, 1 pound. 

# The membrane which lines the interior of the skull. 



232 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Mix. Divide into eight parts, and feed one every morning. 
Make a drink from the white Indian hemp, (asclepias incar- 
nata,) one ounce of which may he infused in a quart of water, 
one fourth to be given every night. 



JAUNDICE. 

This malady generally involves the whole system in its 
deranged action. It is recognized by the yellow tint of the 
conjunctiva, (white of the eye,) and mucous membranes lining 
the nostrils and mouth. We generally employ for its cure 

Powdered mandrake, .... 1 tea-spoonful. 

" ginger, 1 tea-spoonful. 

" golden seal, ... 2 tea-spoonfuls. 

Mix. Divide into two parts. Give one dose in the morn- 
ing, and the other at night. An occasional drink of camo- 
mile tea, a few bran mashes, and boiled carrots, will com- 
plete the cure. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE KIDNEYS. 

A derangement of these organs may result from exter- 
nal violence, or it may depend on the animal having eaten 
stimulating or poisonous plants. 

Its symptoms are, pain in the region of the kidneys ; the 
back is arched, and the walk stiff and painful, with the legs 
widely separated ; there is a frequent desire to make water, 
and that is high colored or bloody ; the appetite is more or 
less impaired, and there is considerable thirst. 

The indications are, to lubricate the mucous surfaces, remove 
morbific materials from the system, and improve the general 
health. 



SHEEP. WORMS. ANTIDOTES. 233 

We commence the treatment by giving 

Poplar bark, finely powdered, . . 1 ounce. 
Pleurisy root, " " . . 1 tea-spoonful. 

Make a mucilage of the poplar bark, by stirring in boiling 
water ; then add the pleurisy root j the whole to be given in 
the course of twenty-four hours. The diet should consist of 
a mixture of linseed, boiled carrots, and meal. 



WORMS 



The intestinal worms generally arise from impaired diges- 
tion. The symptoms are, a diminution of rumination, wast- 
ing away of the body, and frequent snorting, obstruction of 
the nostrils with mucus of a greater or less thickness. 

Compound for Worms. 
Powdered worm seed, .... } 

" skunk cabbage, . . . > equal parts. 
" ginger, ..... ) 

Dose, a tea-spoonful night and morning in the fodder. 



DISEASES OF THE STOMACH FROM EATING POISONOUS PLANTS. 

Treatment. — Take the animal from pasture, and put it on 
a boiled diet, of shorts, meal, linseed, and carrots. The fol- 
lowing alterative may be mixed in the food 



Powdered marshmallows, 
" sassafras bark, 
" charcoal, . , 
" licorice, . . 



1 ounce. 

2 ounces. 
2 ounces. 
2 ounces. 



Dose, one table-spoonful every night. 
30 



234 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



SORE NIPPLES. 

Lambs often die of hunger, from their dams refusing them 
suck. The cause of this is sore nipples, or some tumor in 
the udder, in which violent pain is excited by the tugging of 
the lamb. Washing with poplar bark, or anointing the teats 
with powdered borax and honey, will generally effect a cure. 



FRACTURES. 



The mending of a broken bone, though somewhat tedious, 
is by no means difficult, when the integuments are not torn. 
Let the limb be gently distended, and the broken ends of the 
bone placed in contact with each other. A piece of stiff 
leather, of pasteboard, or of thin shingle, wrapped in a soft rag, 
is then to be laid along the limb, so that it may extend an 
inch or two beyond the contiguous part. The splints are 
then to be secured by a bandage of linen an inch and a half 
broad. After being firmly rolled up, it should be passed spi- 
rally round the leg, taking care that every turn of the ban- 
dage overlaps about two thirds of the preceding one. When 
the inequality of the parts causes the margin to slack, it must 
be reversed or folded over ; that is, its upper margin must 
become the lower, &c. The bandage should be moderately 
tight, so as to support the parts without intercepting the cir- 
culation, and should be so applied as to press equally on every 
part. The bandage may be occasionally wet with a mixture 
of equal parts of vinegar and water. 



SHEEP. CATARRH AND EPIDEMIC INFLUENZA. 235 



COMMON CATARRH AND EPIDEMIC INFLUENZA. 

The seat of the disease is in the mucous membrane, which 
is a continuation of the external skin, folded into all the ori- 
fices of the body, as the mouth, eyes, nose, ears, lungs, stomach, 
intestines and bladder ; its structure of arterial capillaries, 
veins, arteries, nerves, &c, is similar to the external skin ; its 
most extensive surfaces are those of the lungs and intestines, 
the former of which is supposed to be greater than the whole 
external surface of the body. 

The healthy office of this membrane is to furnish from the 
blood a fluid called mucus, to lubricate its own surface, and 
protect it from the action of materials taken into the system. 
The mucous membrane and the external surface of the body 
seem to be a counterpart of each other, and perform nearly 
the same offices ; hence, if the action of one is suppressed, 
the other commences the performance of its office ; thus a 
cold which closes the skin immediately stops the perspiration, 
which is now forced through the mucous membrane, produ- 
cing the discharge of watery humors, pus intermixed with 
blood, dry cough, emaciation, &c. There are two varieties 
of this disease ; the first is called common catarrh, which pro- 
ceeds from cold taken in pasture that is not properly drained, 
also from atmospheric changes ; it may also proceed from acrid 
or other irritating effluvia inhaled in the air, or from poisonous 
substances taken in the stomach in the form of food. The 
second variety is called epidemic influenza, and is produced 
by general causes ; the attack is sometimes sudden ; although 
of nearly the same nature as the first form, it is more obsti- 
nate, and the treatment must be more energetic. It is very 
difficult to lay down correct rules for the treatment of this 
malady, under its different forms and stages. The principal 
object to be kept in view is, to equalize the circulation, re- 
move the irritating causes from the organs affected, and restore 
the tone of the system. 

For this purpose, we make use of the following articles : — 



236 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Horehound, (herb,) .... 1 ounce. 

Marshallow, (root,) .... 1 ounce. 

Powdered elecampane, (root,) . half an ounce. 

" licorice, " . half an ounce. 

Powdered cayenne, .... half a tea-spoonful. 

Molasses, .2 table-spoonfuls. 

Vinegar, 2 table-spoonfuls. 

Mix, pour on the whole one quart of boiling water, set it 
aside for two hours, then strain through cotton cloth, and 
give a table-spoonful night and morning.* If the bowels 
are constipated, a dose of linseed oil should precede the mix- 
ture. No water should be allowed during the treatment. 

The following injection may be used : — 

Powdered bayberry bark, . . 1 ounce. 

" gum arabic, . . . half an ounce. 
Boiling water, 1 pint. 

Stir occasionally while cooling, and strain as above. 

The legs and ears should be briskly rubbed with tincture 
of capsicum ; this latter acts as a counter-irritant, equalizes 
the circulation, and, entering into the system, gives tone and 
vigor to the whole animal economy. 



CASTRATING LAMBS. 

The lambs are first driven into a small enclosure. Select 
the ewe from the ram lambs, and let the former go. Two 
assistants are necessary. One catches the lambs ; the other 
is seated on a low bench for the purpose of taking the lamb 
on his lap, where he holds it by the four legs. The operator, 

* This preparation undergoes a process of fermentation in the course of 
forty-eight hours, and should therefore only be made in sufficient quantities 
for present use. 



NATURE OF SHEEP. 237 

having previously supplied himself with a piece of waxed silk 
and the necessary implements, grasps the scrotum in his left 
hand. He then makes an incision over the most prominent 
part of the testicle, through the skin, cellular structure, &c. 
The testicle escapes from the scrotum. A ligature is now 
passed around the spermatic artery, and tied, and the cord is 
severed, bringing the testicle away at one stroke of the knife. 
As soon as -the operation is completed, the animal is released. 
The evening is the best time for performing the operation, 
for then the animal remains quiet during the night, and the 
wound heals kindly. 



NATURE OF SHEEP. 

" The sheep, though in most countries under the protec- 
tion and control of man, is not that stupid and contemptible 
animal that has been represented. Amidst those numerous 
flocks which range without control on extensive mountains, 
where they seldom depend upon the aid of man, it will be 
found to assume a very different character. In those situa- 
tions, a ram or a wether will boldly attack a single dog, and 
often come off victorious ; but when the danger is more 
alarming, they have recourse to the collected strength of the 
whole flock. On such occasions, they draw up into a com- 
pact body, placing the young and the females in the centre, 
while the males take the foremost ranks ; keeping close by 
each other. Thus an armed front is presented to all quar- 
ters, and cannot be easily attacked, without danger or destruc- 
tion to the assailant. In this manner they wait with firmness 
the approach of the enemy ; nor does their courage fail them 
in the moment of attack ; for when the aggressor advances 
to within a few yards of the line, the rams dart upon him 
with such impetuosity, as to lay him dead at their feet, unless 
he save himself by flight. Against the attack of a single 
dog, when in this situation, they are perfectly secure." 



238 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



THE RAM. 

Mr. Laws on says, " It may be observed that the rams of 
different breeds of sheep vary greatly in their forms, wools, 
and fleeces, and other properties ; but the following descrip- 
tion, by that excellent stock-farmer, Mr. Culley, deserves the 
attention of the breeder and grazier. According to him, the 
head of the ram should be fine and small ; his nostrils wide 
and expanded ; his eyes prominent, and rather bold or daring ; 
his ears thin ; his collar full from his breast and shoulders, but 
tapering gradually all the way to where the neck and head join, 
which should be very fine and graceful, being perfectly free 
from any coarse leather hanging down ; the shoulders full, 
which must, at the same time, join so easy to the collar forward, 
and chine backward, as to leave not the least hollow in either 
place ; the mutton upon his arm or fore thigh must come 
quite to the knee ; his legs upright, with a clean fine bone, 
being equally clear from superfluous skin and coarse, hairy 
wool from the knee and hough downwards ; the breast broad 
and well forward, which will keep his fore legs at a proper 
width ; his girt or chest full and deep, and instead of a hollow 
between the shoulders, that part by some called the fore flank 
should be quite full ; the back and loins broad, flat, and 
straight, from which the ribs must rise with a fine circular 
arch ; his belly straight ; the quarters long and full, with the 
mutton quite down to the hough, which should neither stand 
in nor out ; his twist, or junction of the inside of the thighs, 
deep, wide, and full, which, with the broad breast, will keep 
his legs open and upright ; the whole body covered with a 
thin pelt, and that witli fine, bright, soft wool. 

"It is to be observed that the nearer any breed of sheep 
come up to the above description, the nearer they approach 
towards excellence of form." 



SHEEP. ARGYLESHIRE BREEDERS. 239 



LEAPING. 

"The manner of treating rams has lately received a very 
great improvement. Instead of turning them loose among 
the ewes at large, as heretofore, and agreeably to universal 
practice, they are kept apart, in a separate paddock, or small 
enclosure, with a couple of ewes only each, to make them 
rest quietly ; having the ewes of the flock brought to them 
singly, and leaping each only once. By this judicious and 
accurate regulation, a ram is enabled to impregnate near twice 
the number of ewes he would do if turned loose among them, 
especially a young ram. In the old practice, sixty or eighty 
ewes were esteemed the full number for a ram. [Overtaxing 
the male gives rise to weak and worthless offspring.] 

" The period during which the rams are to go with the 
ewes must be regulated by climate, and the quantity of spring 
food provided. It is of great importance that lambs should 
be dropped as early as possible, that they not only be well 
nursed, but have time to get stout, and able to provide for 
themselves before the winter sets in. It is also of good ad- 
vantage to the ewes that they may get into good condition 
before the rutting season. The ram has been known to live 
to the age of fifteen years, and begins to procreate at one. 
When castrated, they are called wethers; they then grow 
sooner fat, and the flesh becomes finer and better flavored." 



ARGYLESHIRE BREEDERS. 



In Argyleshire, the principal circumstances attended to by 
the most intelligent sheep-farmers are these : to stock lightly, 
which will mend the size of the sheep, with the quantity and 
quality of the wool, and also render them less subject to dis- 
eases ; (in all these respects it is allowed, by good judges, that 



240 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR, 

five hundred sheep, kept well, will return more profit than 
six hundred kept indifferently ;) to select the best lambs, and 
such as have the finest, closest, and whitest wool, for tups 
and breeding ewes, and to cut and spay the worst ; to get a 
change of rams frequently, and of breeding ewes occasion- 
ally ; to put the best tups to the best ewes, which is consid- 
ered necessary for bringing any breed to perfection ; not to 
tup three-year-old ewes, (which, in bad seasons especially, 
would render the lambs produced by them of little value, as 
the lambs would not have a sufficiency of milk \ and would 
also tend to lessen the size of the stock ;) to keep no rams 
above three, or at most four years old, nor any breeding ewes 
above five or six; to separate the rams from the 10th of Octo- 
ber, for a month or six weeks, to prevent the lambs from 
coming too early in the spring ; to separate the lambs between 
the 15th and 25th of June ; to have good grass prepared for 
them ; and if they can, to keep them separate, and on good 
grass all winter, that they may be better attended to, and 
have the better chance of avoiding disease. A few, whose 
possessions allow them to do it, keep not only their lambs, 
but also their wethers, ewes, &c, in separate places, by 
which every man, having his own charge, can attend to it 
better than if all were in common ; and each kind has its 
pasture that best suits it. 



FATTENING SHEEP. 



We are indebted to Mr. Cole, editor of the New England 
Farmer, for the following article, which is worthy the atten- 
tion of the reader : — 

" Quietude and warmth contribute greatly to the fattening 
process. This is a fact which has not only been developed 
by science, but proved by actual practice. The manner in 
which these agents operate is simple, and easily explained. 



FATTENING SHEEP. 241 

Motion increases respiration, and the excess of oxygen, thus 
taken, requires an increased quantity of carbon, which would 
otherwise be expended in producing fat. So, likewise, cold 
robs the system of animal heat ; to supply which, more oxy- 
gen and more carbon must be employed in extra combustion, 
to restore the diminution of temperature. Nature enforces 
the restoration of warmth, by causing cold to produce both 
hunger and a disposition for motion, supplying carbon by the 
gratification of the former, and oxygen by the indulgence of 
the latter. The above facts are illustrated by Lord Ducie : — 

" One hundred sheep were placed in a shed, and ate twenty 
pounds of Swedish turnips each per day; whilst another hun- 
dred, in the open air, ate twenty-five pounds each ; and at that 
rate for a certain period : the former animals weighed each 
thirty pounds more than the latter ; plainly showing that, to 
a certain extent, warmth is a substitute for food. This was 
also proved, by the same nobleman, in other experiments, 
which also illustrated the effect of exercise. 

"No. 1. Five sheep were fed in the open air, between the 
21st of November and the 1st of December. They con- 
sumed ninety pounds of food per day, the temperature being 
44°. At the end of this time, they weighed two pounds less 
than when first exposed. 

"No. 2. Five sheep were placed under shelter, and allowed 
to run at a temperature of 49°. They consumed at first 
eighty-two pounds, then seventy pounds, and increased in 
weight twenty-three pounds. 

"No. 3. Five sheep were placed in the same shed, but not 
allowed any exercise. They ate at first sixty-four pounds, 
then fifty-eight pounds, and increased in weight thirty 
pounds. 

" No. 4. Five sheep were kept in the dark, quiet and cov- 
ered. They ate thirty-five pounds per day, and increased in 
weight eight pounds. 

" A similar experiment was tried by Mr. Childers, M. P. 
He states, that eighty Leicester sheep, in the open field, con- 
sumed fifty baskets of cut turnips per day, besides oil cake. 
31 



242 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

On putting them in a shed, they were immediately able to 
consume only thirty baskets, and soon after but twenty-five, 
being only one half the quantity required before ; and yet 
they fattened as rapidly as when eating the largest quantity. 

" From these experiments, it appears that the least quan- 
tity of food, which is required for fattening, is when ani- 
mals are kept closely confined in warm shelters ; and the 
greatest quantity when running at large, exposed to all 
weather. But, although animals will fatten faster for a cer- 
tain time without exercise than with it, if they are closely 
confined for any considerable time, and are at the same time 
full fed, they become, in some measure, feverish ; the propor- 
tion of fat becomes too large, and the meat is not so palatable 
and healthy as when they are allowed moderate exercise, in 
yards or small fields. 

"As to the kinds of food which may be used most advan- 
tageously in fattening, this will generally depend upon what 
is raised upon the farm, it being preferable, in most cases, to 
use the produce of the farm. Sheep prefer beans to almost 
any other grain ; but neither beans nor peas are so fattening 
as some other grains, and are used most advantageously along 
with them. Beans, peas, oats, barley, rye, buckwheat, &c, 
may be used along with Indian corn, or oil cake, or succulent 
food, making various changes and mixtures, in order to fur- 
nish the variety of food which is so much relished by the 
sheep, and which should ever be attended to by the sheep 
fattener. This will prevent their being cloyed, and will has- 
ten the fattening process. A variety of food, says Mr. 
Spooner, operates like cookery in the human subject, enabling 
more sustenance to be taken. 

" The quantity of grain or succulent food, which it will be 
proper to feed, will depend upon the size, age, and condition 
of the sheep ; and judgment must be used in ascertaining 
how much they can bear. Mr. Childers states that sheep 
(New Leicester) fed with the addition of half a pint of bar- 
ley per sheep, per day, half a pound of linseed oil cake, with 
hay, and a constant supply of salt, became ready for the 



FATTENING SHEEP. 243 

butcher in ten weeks ; the gain of flesh and tallow, thirty- 
three pounds to forty pounds per head. (One sheep gained 
fifty-five pounds in twelve weeks.) 

" This experiment shows what is about the largest amount 
of grain which it is necessary or proper to feed to New Leices- 
ter sheep, at any time while fattening. The average weight 
of forty New Leicester wethers, before fattening, was found 
by Mr. Childers to be one hundred and twenty-eight pounds 
each. By weighing an average lot of any other kind of sheep, 
which are to be fattened, and by reference to the table of 
comparative nutriment of the different kinds of food, a cal- 
culation may be readily made, as to the largest amount, which 
will be necessary for them, of any article of food whatever. 

" When sheep are first put up for fattening, they should be 
sorted, when convenient, so as to put those of the same age, 
size, and condition, each by themselves, so that each may 
have a fair chance to obtain its proportion of food, and may 
be fed the proper length of time. 

" They should be fed moderately at first, gradually increas- 
ing the quantity to the largest amount, and making the proper 
changes of food, so as not to cloy them, nor produce acute 
diseases of the head or intestines, and never feeding so much 
as to scour them. 

" Sheep, when fattening, should not be fed oftener than 
three times a day, viz., morning, noon, and evening. In the 
intervals between feeding, they may fill themselves well, and 
will have time sufficient for rumination and digestion : these 
processes are interrupted by too frequent feeding. But they 
should be fed with regularity, both as to the quantity of food 
and the time when it is given. When convenient, they should 
have access to water at all times ; otherwise a full supply of 
it should be furnished to them immediately after they have 
consumed each foddering. 

" When sheep become extremely fat, whether purposely or 
not, it is generally expedient to slaughter them. Permitting 
animals to become alternately very fat and lean is injurious to 
all stock. Therefore, if animals are too strongly inclined to 



244 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

fatten at an age when wanted for breeding, their condition as 
to flesh should be regulated by the quantity and quality of 
their food or pasture." 



IMPROVEMENT IN SHEEP. 

No country in the world is better calculated for raising sheep 
than the United States. The diversity of climate, together 
with the abundance and variety of the products of the soil, 
united with the industry and perseverance of the agriculturist, 
renders this country highly favorable for breeding, maturing, 
and improving the different kinds of sheep. The American 
people, taken as a whole, are intellectually stronger than any 
other nation with the like amount of population, on the face 
of the globe ; consequently they are ail-powerful, " for the 
mind is mightier than the sword." All that we aim at, in 
these pages, is to turn the current of the American mind to 
the important subject of improvement in the animal kingdom ; 
to show them the great benefits they will derive from prac- 
tical experience in the management of all classes of live stock ; 
and, lastly, to show them the value and importance of the 
veterinary profession, when flourishing under the genial influ- 
ence of a liberal community. If we can only succeed in ar- 
resting the attention of American stock raisers, and they, on 
the other hand, direct their whole attention to the matter, 
then, in a few years, America will outshine her more favored 
European rivals, and feel proud of her improved stock. What 
the American people have done during the last half century 
in the improvement of the soil, manufactures, arts, and sci- 
ences, is an earnest of what they cau do in ameliorating the 
condition of all classes of live stock, provided they take hold 
of the subject in good earnest. Let any one who is acquainted 
with the subject of degeneration, its causes and fatal results, 
not only in reference to the stock itself, but as regards the 
pocket of the breeder, and the health of the whole commu- 



IMPROVEMENT IN SHEEP. 245 

nity, — let such a one go into our slaughter-houses and mar- 
kets, and if he does not see a wide field for improvement, 
then we will agree to let the subject sink into oblivion. In 
order to show what a whole community can accomplish when 
their efforts are directed to one object, let us look on what a 
single individual, by his own industry and perseverance, has 
accomplished simply in improving the breed of sheep. The 
person referred to is Mr. Bakewell. His breeding animals 
were, in the first place, selected from different breeds. These 
he crossed with the best to be had. After the cross had been 
carried to the desired point, he confined his selections to his 
own herds or flocks. He formed in his mind a standard of 
perfection for each kind of animals, and to this he constantly 
endeavored to bring them. That he was eminently success- 
ful in the attainment of his object, cannot be denied. He 
began his farming operations about 1750. In 1760, his rams 
did not sell for more than two or three guineas per head. 
From this time he gradually advanced in terms, and in 1770 
he let some for twenty-five guineas a head for the season. 
Marshall states that, in 1786, Bakewell let two thirds of a ram 
(reserving a third for himself ) to two breeders, for a hundred 
guineas each, the entire services of the ram being rated at 
three hundred guineas the season. It is also stated that he 
made that year, by letting rams, more than one thousand 
pounds. 

" In 1789, he made twelve hundred guineas by three ' ram 
brothers^ and two thousand guineas from seven, and, from his 
whole letting, full three thousand guineas. Six or seven other 
breeders made from five hundred to a thousand guineas each 
by the same operation. The whole amount of ram-letting 
of Bakewell's breed is said to have been not less, that year, 
than ten thousand pounds, [forty-eight thousand dollars.] 

"It is true that still more extraordinary prices were ob- 
tained for the use of rams of this breed after Mr. Bakewell's 
death. Pitt, in his ' Survey of Leicestershire,' mentions that, 
in 1795, Mr. Astley gave three hundred guineas for the use 
of a ram of this breed, engaging, at the same time, that he 



246 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

should serve gratis twenty ewes owned by the man of whom 
the ram was hired ; making for the entire use of the ram, that 
season, four hundred and twenty guineas. In 1796, Mr. 
Astley gave for the use of the same ram three hundred guineas, 
and took forty ewes to be served gratis. At the price charged 
for the service of the ram to each ewe, the whole value for 
the season was five hundred guineas. He served one hundred 
ewes. In 1797, the same ram was let to another person at 
three hundred guineas, and twenty ewes sent with him ; the 
serving of which was reckoned at a hundred guineas, and the 
ram was restricted to sixty more, which brought his value for 
the season to four hundred guineas. Thus the ram made, in 
three seasons, the enormous sum of thirteen hundred guineas. 

" We have nothing to do, at present, with the question 
whether the value of these animals was not exaggerated. 
The actual superiority of the breed over the stock of the 
country must have been obvious, and this point we wish kept 
in mind. 

" This breed of sheep is continued to the present day, and 
it has been remarked by a respected writer, that they will 
* remain a lasting monument of Bakewell's skill.' As to their 
origin, the testimony shows them to have been of mixed blood : 
though no breed is more distinct in its characters, or transmits 
its qualities with more certainty ; and if we were without any 
other example of successful crossing, the advocates of the 
system might still point triumphantly to the Leicester or 
Bakewell sheep. 

" But what are the opinions of our best modern breeders 
in regard to the practicability of producing distinct breeds by 
crossing ? Robert Smith, of Burley, Rutlandshire, an eminent 
sheep-breeder, in an essay on the ' Breeding and Manage- 
ment of Sheep,' for which he received a prize from the Royal 
Agricultural Society, (1847,) makes the following remarks: 
( The crossing of pure breeds has been a subject of great 
interest amongst every class of breeders. While all agree that 
the first cross may be attended with good results, there exists 
a diversity of opinion upon the future movements, or putting 



IMPROVEMENT IN SHEEP. 247 

the crosses together. Having tried experiments (and I am 
now pursuing them for confirmation) in every way possible, 
I do not hesitate to express my opinion, that, by proper and 
judicious crossing through several generations, a most valua- 
ble breed of sheep may be raised and established ; in support 
of which I may mention the career of the celebrated Bake- 
well, who raised a new variety from other long-wooled breeds 
by dint of perseverance and propagation, and which have sub- 
sequently corrected all other long-wooled breeds.' " 

We have alluded to the low price of some of the mutton 
brought to the Boston market. We do not wish the reader 
to infer that there is none other to be had : on the contrary, 
we have occasionally seen as good mutton there as in any 
European market. There are a number of practical and 
worthy men engaged in improving the different kinds of live 
stock, and preventing the degeneracy to which we refer. 
They have taken much interest in that class of stock, and 
they have been abundantly rewarded for their labor. But the 
great mass want more light on this subject, and for this reason 
we endeavor to show the causes of degeneracy, to enable them 
to avoid the errors of their forefathers. 

Mr. Roberts, of Pennsylvania, says, M Early in my expe- 
rience, I witnessed the renovation of a flock of what we call 
country sheep, that had been too long propagated in the same 
blood. This was about the year 1798. An imported ram 
from England, with heavy horns, very much resembling the 
most vigorous Spanish Merinoes, was obtained. The progeny 
were improved in the quality of fleece, and in the vigor of 
constitution. On running this stock in the same blood for 
some twelve years, a great deterioration became apparent. A 
male was then obtained of the large coarse-wooled Spanish 
stock : improvement in the vigor of the progeny was again 
most obvious. A Tunis mountain ram was then obtained, 
with a result equally favorable. In this process, fineness of 
fleece or weight was less the object than the carcass. In 
1810, a male of not quite pure Merino blood was placed with 
the same stock of ewes ; and a change of the male from year 



248 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

to year, for some time, produced a superior Merino stock. 
Wool of a marketable quality for fine cloths was now the 
object : and it was not an unprofitable husbandry, when it 
would sell in the fleece, unwashed, from eighty-six cents to 
one dollar. The Saxon stock then became the rage, and the 
introduction of a tup of that country diminished greatly the 
weight of the fleece, without adequately improving its fine- 
ness. A male of the Spanish stock would give sometimes 
nine pounds ; and the marsh graziers say that they went as 
high as fifteen pounds. Saxon males scarcely exceed five 
pounds, and the ewes two and a half pounds. By running in 
the same blood, and poor keeping, the fleece may be made 
finer, but it will be lightened in proportion, and of a weak 
and infirm texture. There are few stock-keepers who have 
mixed the Spanish with the Saxon breeds but what either do 
or will have cause to regret it. In this part of the country, a 
real Spanish Merino is not to be obtained. Sheep-raising has 
ceased to be a business of any profit nearer to the maritime 
coast than our extensive mountain ranges, whether for carcass 
or fleece. I sold, the last season, water-washed wool, of very 
fine quality, for thirty cents per pound. At such a price for 
wool, land near our seaports can be turned to better account, 
even in these dull times, than wool-growing. Stock sheep 
do best in stony and elevated locations, where they have to 
use diligence to pick the scanty blade. Sheep on the sea- 
board region should be kept more for carcass than fleece ; and 
feeding, more than breeding, ought to be the object for some 
one hundred miles from tide water. It is now a well-ascer- 
tained fact, that health and vigor can only be perpetuated by 
not running too long on the same blood. The evils I have 
witnessed were due to a want of care on this head more than 
to any endemical quality in our climate. Sheep kept on 
smooth land and soft pasture are liable to the foot rot. The 
hoofs of the Merino require paring occasionally, for want of 
a stony mountain side to ascend. It is no longer a problem 
that this is to be a great wool-growing country, as well as a 
wool-consuming one, There is, in our wool-growing country, 



DIFFERENT BREEDS OF SHEEP. 249 

land in abundance, held at a price that will enable the wool- 
grower to produce the finest qualities at thirty cents per 
pound, the cloths to be manufactured in proportion, and the 
market to be steady. I have seen Merino wool, since 1810, 
range from one dollar per pound to eighteen and three fourths 
cents, though I do not recollect selling below twenty-two 
cents. The best variety of sheep stock I have seen, putting 
fineness of fleece aside, was the mixed Bake well and South 
Down, imported by Mr. Smith, of New Jersey. The flesh 
of the Merino has been pronounced of inferior flavor. This, 
however, does not agree with my experience, as I have found 
the lambs command a readier sale than any other, from 
being preferred by consumers." 



DESCRIPTION OF THE DIFFERENT BREEDS OF SHEEP. 

Mr. Lawson tells us that " the variety in sheep is so great, 
that scarcely any two countries produce sheep of the same 
kind. There is found a manifest difference in all, either in 
the size, the covering, the shape, or the horns. 

TEESWATER BREED. 

" This is a breed of sheep said to be the largest in Eng- 
land. It is at present the most prevalent in the rich, fine, 
fertile, enclosed lands on the banks of the Tees, in York- 
shire. In this breed, which is supposed to be from the same 
stock as those of the Lincolns, greater attention seems to 
have been paid to size than wool. It is, however, a breed 
only calculated for warm, rich pastures, where they are kept 
m small lots, in small enclosures, and well supported with 
food in severe winter seasons. The legs are longer, finer 
boned, and support a thicker and more firm and heavy car- 
32 



250 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

cass than the Lincolnshires ; the sheep are much wider on the 
backs and sides, and afford a fatter and finer-grained mutton. 

LINCOLNSHIRE BREED. 

" This is a breed of sheep which is characterized by their 
having no horns ; white faces ; long, thin, weak carcasses ; 
thick, rough, white legs ; bones large ; pelts thick ; slow feed- 
ing ; mutton coarse grained ; the wool from ten to eighteen 
inches in length ; and it is chiefly prevalent in the district 
which gives the name, and other rich grazing ones. The 
new, or improved Lincolns, have now finer bone, with broader 
loins and trussed carcasses, and are among the best, if not 
actually the best, long-wooled stock we have. 

THE DISHLEY BREED. 

" This is an improved breed of sheep, which is readily 
distinguished from the other long-wooled sorts ; having a ful- 
ness of form and substantial width of carcass, with peculiar 
plainness and meekness of countenance ; the head long, thin, 
and leaning backward ; the nose projecting forward ; the ears 
somewhat long, and standing backward ; great fulness of the 
fore quarters ; legs of moderate length, and the finest bone ; 
tail small ; fleece well covering the body, of the shortest and 
finest of the combing wools, the length of staple six or seven 
inches. 

COTS WOLD BREED. 

" This is a breed of sheep answering the following descrip- 
tion : long, coarse head, with a particularly blunt, wide nose ; 
a top-knot of wool on the forehead, running under the ears ; 
rather long neck ; great length and breadth of back and loin ; 
full thigh, with more substance in the hinder than fore quar- 
ters ; bone somewhat fine ; legs not long ; fleece soft, like 
that of the Dishley, but in closeness and darkness of color 



DIFFERENT BREEDS OF SHEEP. 251 

bearing more resemblance to short or carding wool. Although 
very fat, they have all the appearance of sheep that are full 
of solid flesh, which would come heavy to the scale. At two 
years and a half old, they have given from eleven to fourteen 
pounds of wool each sheep ; and, being fat, they are indis- 
putably among the larger breeds. 

ROMNEY MARSH BREED. 

" This is a kind which is described, by Mr. Young, as be- 
ing a breed of sheep without horns ; white faces and legs ; 
rather long in the legs ; good size ; body rather long, but 
well barrel-shaped ; bones rather large. In respect to the 
wool, it is fine, long, and of a delicate white color, when 
in its perfect state. 

DEVONSHIRE BREED. 

" This is a breed or sort of sheep which is chiefly distin- 
guished by having no horns ; white faces and legs ; thick 
necks ; backs narrow, and back-bones high ; sides good ; legs 
short, and bones large ; and probably without any material 
objection, being a variety of the common hornless sort. 
Length of wool much the same as in the Romney Marsh 
breed. It is a breed found to be prevalent in the district 
from which it has derived its name, and is supposed to have 
received considerable improvement by being crossed with 
the new Leicester, or Dishley. 

THE DORSETSHIRE BREED. 

" This breed is known by having the face, nose, and legs 
white, head rather long, but broad, and the forehead woolly, 
as in the Spanish sort ; the horn round and bold, middle- 
sized, and standing from the head ; the shoulders broad at 
top, but lower than the hind quarters ; the back tolerably 
straight ; carcass deep, and loins broad ; legs not long, nor 



252 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

very fine in the bone : the wool is fine and short. It is a 
breed which has the peculiar property of producing lambs at 
any period of the season, even so early as September and Oc- 
tober, so as to suit the purposes of the lamb-suckler. 

THE WILTSHIRE BREED. 

" This is a sort which has sometimes the title of horned 
crocks. The writer on live stock distinguishes the breed as 
having a large head and eyes ; Roman nose ; wide nostrils ; 
horns bending down the cheeks ; color all white ; wide bo- 
som ; deep, greyhound breast ; back rather straight ; carcass 
substantial ; legs short ; bone coarse ; fine middle wool, very 
thin on the belly, which is sometimes bare. He supposes, 
with Culley, that the basis of this breed is doubtless the Dor- 
sets, enlarged by some long-wooled cross ; but how the horns 
came to take a direction so contrary, is not easy, he thinks, 
to conjecture ; he has sometimes imagined it must be the 
result of some foreign, probably Tartarian cross. 

THE SOUTH DOWN BREED. 

" This is a valuable sort of sheep, which Culley has dis- 
tinguished by having no horns ; gray faces and legs ; fine 
bones ; long, small necks ; and by being rather low before, 
high on the shoulder, and light in the fore quarter j sides 
good ; loin tolerably broad ; back-bone rather high ; thigh 
full ; twist good ; mutton fine in grain and well flavored ; 
wool short, very close and fine ; in the length of the staple 
from two to three inches. It is a breed which prevails on the 
dry, chalky downs in Sussex, as well as the hills of Surrey 
and Kent, and which has lately been much improved, both 
in carcass and wool, being much enlarged forward, carrying a 
good fore flank ; and for the short, less fertile, hilly pastures 
is an excellent sort, as feeding close. The sheep are hardy, 
and disposed to fatten quickly ; and where the ewes are full 
kept, they frequently produce twin lambs, nearly in propor- 



DIFFERENT BREEDS OF SHEEP. 253 

tion of one third of the whole, which are, when dropped, 
well wooled. 

THE HERDWICK BREED. 

" This is a breed which is characterized by Mr. Culley as 
having no horns, and the face and legs being speckled ; the 
larger portion of white, with fewer black spots, the purer the 
breed ; legs fine, small, clean ; the lambs well covered when 
dropped ; the wool, short, thick, and matted in the fleece. It 
is a breed peculiar to the elevated, mountainous tract of coun- 
try at the head of the River Esk, and Duddon in Cumberland, 
where they are let in herds, at an annual sum ; whence the 
name. At present, they are said to possess the property of 
being extremely hardy in constitution, and capable of sup- 
porting themselves on the rocky, bare mountains, with the 
trifling support of a little hay in the winter season. 

THE CHEVIOT BREED. 

" This breed of sheep is known by the want of horns ; by 
the face and legs being mostly white ; little depth in the 
breast ; narrow there and on the chine ; clean, fine, small- 
boned legs, and thin pelts ; the wool partly fine and partly 
coarse. It is a valuable, breed of mountain sheep, where 
the herbage is chiefly of the natural grass kind, which is the 
case in the situations where these are found the most preva- 
lent, and from which they have obtained their name. It is a 
breed which has undergone much improvement, within these 
few years, in respect to its form and other qualities, and has 
been lately introduced into the most northern districts ; and 
from its hardiness, its affording a portion of fine wool, and 
being quick in fattening, it is likely to answer well in such 
situations. 

THE MERINO BREED 

" In this breed of sheep, the males have horns, but the 
females are without them. They have white faces and legs ; 



254 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

the body not very perfect in shape ; rather long in the legs ; 
fine in the bone ; a production of loose, pendulous skin under 
the neck ; and the pelt fine and clear ; the wool very fine. 
It is a breed that is asserted by some to be tolerably hardy, 
and to possess a disposition to fatten readily. 

THE WELSH SHEEP. 

" These, which are the most general breed in the hill dis- 
tricts, are small horned, and all over of a white color. They 
are neat, compact sheep. There is likewise a polled, short- 
wooled sort of sheep in these parts of the country, which are 
esteemed by some. The genuine Welsh mutton, from its 
smallness and delicate flavor, is commonly well known, high- 
ly esteemed, and sold at a high price." 



SWINE. 



PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 

Swine have generally been considered " unclean," creatures 
of gross habits, &c. ; but these epithets are unjust : they are 
not, in their nature, the unclean, gross, insensible brutes that 
mankind suppose them. If they are unclean, they got their 
first lessons from the lords of creation, by being confined in 
narrow, filthy sties — often deprived of light, and pure air, 
by being shut up in dark, underground cellars, to wallow in 
their own excrement ; at other times, confined beneath sta- 
bles, dragging out their existence in a perfect hotbed of cor- 
ruption — respiring the emanations from the dung and urine 
of other animals ; and often compelled to satisfy the cravings 
of hunger by partaking of whatever comes in their way. All 
manner of filth, including decaying and putrid vegetable and 
animal substances, are considered good enough for the hogs. 
And as long as they get such kind of trash, and no other, 
they must eat it ; the cravings of hunger must be satisfied. 
The Almighty has endowed them with powerful organs of 
digestion ; and as long as there is any thing before them that 
the gastric fluids are capable of assimilating, although it be 
disgusting to their very natures, rather than suffer of hunger, 
they will partake of it. Much of the indigestible food given 
to swine deranges the stomach, and destroys the powers of 
assimilation, or, in other words, leaves it in a morbid state. 
There is then a constant sensation of hunger, a longing for any 



256 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

and every thing within their reach. Does the reader wonder, 
then, at their morbid tastes ? What will man do under the 
same circumstances ? Suppose him to be the victim of dys- 
pepsia or indigestion. In the early stages, he is constantly 
catering to the appetite. At one time, he longs for acids ; at 
another, alkalies ; now, he wants stimulants ; then, refriger- 
ants, &c. Again : what will not a man do to satisfy the crav- 
ings of hunger ? Will he not eat his fellow, and drink of his 
blood ? And all to satisfy the craving of an empty stomach. 
We know from experience that, if young pigs are daily 
washed, and kept on clean cooked food, they will not eat the 
common city " swill;" they eat it only when compelled by 
hunger. When free from the control of man, they show as 
much sagacity in the selection of their food as any other ani- 
mals ; and, indeed, more than some, for they seldom get poi- 
soned, like the ox, in mistaking noxious for wholesome food. 
The Jews, as well as our modern physiologists, consider the 
flesh of swine unfit for food. No doubt some of it is, espe- 
cially that reared under the unfavorable circumstances alluded 
to above. But good home-fed pork, kept on good country 
produce, and not too fat, is just as good food for man as the 
flesh of oxen or sheep, notwithstanding the opinion of our 
medical brethren to the contrary. Their flesh has long been 
considered as one of the principal causes of scrofula, and other 
diseases too numerous to mention : without doubt this is the 
case. But that good, healthy pork should produce such re- 
sults we are unwilling to admit. We force them to load their 
stomachs with the rotten offal of large cities, and thus derange 
their whole systems ; they become loaded with fat ; their 
systems abound in morbific fluids ; their lungs become tu- 
berculous ; their livers enlarge ; calcerous deposits or glan- 
dular disorganization sets in. Take into consideration 
their inactive habits; not voluntary, for instinct teaches 
them, when at liberty, to run, jump, and gambol, by which 
the excess of carbon is thrown off. Depriving them of 
exercise may be profitable to the breeder, but it induces a 
state of plethora. The cellular structures of such an animal 



SWINE. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 257 

are distended to their utmost capacity, preventing the full and 
free play of the vital machinery, obstructing the natural out- 
lets (excrementitious vessels) on the external surface, and 
retaining in the system morbid materials that are positively 
injurious. At the present time, there is on exhibition in 
Boston a woman, styled the " fat girl ; " she weighs four 
hundred and ninety-five pounds. A casual observer could 
detect nothing in her external appearance that denoted dis- 
ease ; yet she is liable to die at any moment from congestion 
of the brain, lungs, or liver. Any one possessing a knowl- 
edge of physiology would immediately pronounce her to be 
in a pathological state. Hence, the laws of the animal econ- 
omy being uniform, we cannot arrive at any other conclusion 
in reference to the same plethoric state in animals of an infe- 
rior order. 

Professor Liebig tells us that excess of carbon, in the form 
of food, cannot be employed to make a part of any organ ; it 
must be deposited in the cellular tissue in the form of tallow 
or oil. This is the whole secret of fattening. 

At every period of animal life, when there occurs a dispro- 
portion between the carbon of the food and the inspired ox- 
ygen, the latter being deficient, — which must happen beneath 
stables and in ill-constructed hog-sties, — fat must be formed. 

Experience teaches us that in poultry the maximum of fat 
is obtained by preventing them from taking exercise, and by 
a medium temperature. These animals, in such circum- 
stances, may be compared to a plant possessing in the highest 
degree the power of converting all food into parts of its own 
structure. The excess of the constituents of blood forms 
flesh and other organized tissues, while that of starch, sugar, 
&c, is converted into fat. When animals are fed on food 
destitute of nitrogen, only certain parts of their structure in- 
crease in size. Thus, in a goose fattened in the manner 
alluded to, the liver becomes three or four times larger than 
in the same animal when well fed, with free motion ; while 
we cannot say that the organized structure of the liver is 
thereby increased. The liver of a goose fed in the ordinary 
33 



258 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

way is firm and elastic ; that of the imprisoned animal is soft 
and spongy. The difference consists in a greater or less 
expansion of its cells, which are filled with fat. Hence, 
when fat accumulates and free motion is prevented, the ani- 
mal is in a diseased state. Now, many tons of pork are eaten 
in this diseased state, and it communicates disease to the hu- 
man family : they blame the pork, when, in fact, the pork 
raisers are often more to blame. The reader is probably 
aware that some properties of food pass into the living organ- 
ism without being assimilated by the digestive organs, and 
produce an abnormal state. For example, the faculty of New 
York have, time and again, testified to the destructive tenden- 
cy of milk drawn from cows fed in cities, without due exer- 
cise and ordinary care in their management, giving it as their 
opinion that most of the diseases of children are brought 
about by its use. If proof were necessary to establish our 
position, we could cite it in abundance. A single case, which 
happened in our own family, will suffice. A liver, taken 
from an apparently healthy sow, (yet abounding in fat, and 
weighing about two hundred pounds,) was prepared in the 
usual manner for dinner. We observed, however, previous to 
its being cooked, that it was unusually large ; yet there was 
no appearance of disease about it; it was quite firm. Each 
one partook of it freely. Towards night, and before partak- 
ing of any other kind of food, we were all seized with vio- 
lent pains in the head, sickness at the stomach, and delirium : 
this continued for several hours, when a diarrhoea set in, 
through which process the offending matter was liberated, 
and each one rapidly recovered ; pretty well convinced, how- 
ever, that we had had a narrow escape, and that the liver was 
the sol® cause of our misfortune. 

Hence the proper management of swine becomes a sub- 
ject of great importance ; for, if more attention were paid to 
it, there would be less disease in the human family. When 
we charge these animals with being " unclean creatures of 
gross habits," let us consider whether we have not, in some 
measure, contributed to make them what they are. 



SWINE. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HOG. 259 

Again : the hog has been termed " insensible," destitute 
of all those finer feelings that characterize brutes of a higher 
order. Yet we have "learned pigs," &c. — a proof that they 
can be taught something. A celebrated writer tells us that 
no animal has a greater sympathy for those of his own kind 
than the hog. The moment one of them gives a signal, all 
within hearing rush to his assistance. They have been known 
to gather round a dog that teased them and kill him on the 
spot ; and if a male and female be enclosed in a sty when 
young, and be afterwards separated, the female will decline 
from the instant her companion is removed, and will probably 
die — perhaps of what would be termed, in the human family, 
a broken heart ! 

In the Island of Minorca, hogs are converted into beasts of 
draught ; a cow, a sow, and two young horses, have been seen 
yoked together, and of the four the sow drew the best. 

A gamekeeper of Sir H. Mildmay actually broke a sow to 
find game, and to back and stand. 

Swine are frequently troubled with cutaneous diseases, 
which produce an itching sensation ; hence their desire to 
wallow and roll in the mire and dirt. The lying down in 
wet, damp places relieves the irritation of the external surface, 
and cools their bodies. This mud and filth, however, in 
which they are often compelled to wallow, is by no means 
good or wholesome for them. 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HOG. 

"The hog," says Professor Low, "is subject to remarka- 
ble changes of form and characters, according to the situa- 
tions in which he is placed. When these characters assume 
a certain degree of permanence, a breed or variety is formed ; 
and there is none of the domestic animals which more easily 
receives the characters we desire to impress upon it. This 



260 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

arises from its rapid powers of increase, and the constancy 
with which the characters of the parents are reproduced in 
the progeny. There is no kind of live stock that can be so 
easily improved by the breeder, and so quickly rendered suit- 
able for the purposes required. 

11 The body is large in proportion to the limbs, or, in other 
words, the limbs are short in proportion to the body ; the ex- 
tremities are free from coarseness ; the chest is broad, and the 
trunk round. Possessing these characters, the hog never 
fails to arrive at early maturity, and with a smaller consump- 
tion of food than when he possesses a different conformation. 

" The wild boar, which was undoubtedly the progenitor of 
all the European varieties, and of the Chinese breed, was for- 
merly a native of the British Islands, and very common in 
the forests until the time of the civil wars in that country." 

We are told, that the wild hog " is now spread over the 
temperate and warmer parts of the old continent and its adja- 
cent islands. His color varies with age and climate, but is 
generally a dusky brown, with black spots and streaks. His 
skin is covered with coarse hairs and bristles, intersected with 
soft wool, and with coarser and longer bristles upon the neck 
and spine, which he erects when in anger. He is a very bold 
and powerful creature, and becomes more fierce and indocile 
with age. From the form of his teeth, he is chiefly herbivo- 
rous in his habits, and delights in roots, which his acute sense 
of smell and touch enables him to discover beneath the sur- 
face. He also feeds on animal substances, such as worms and 
larvae, which he grubs up from the earth, the eggs of birds, 
small reptiles, the young of animals, and occasionally carrion ; 
he even attacks venomous snakes with impunity. In the nat- 
ural state, the female produces a litter but once a year ; * and 

* In the domesticated state, the sow is often permitted to have two and 
even three litters in a year. This custom is very pernicious ; it debilitates 
the mother, overworks all parts of the living machinery, and being in direct 
opposition to the laws of their being, their progeny must degenerate. Then, 
again, let the reader take into consideration the fact that members of the 
same litter impregnate each other, in the same ratio, and he cannot but 



SWINE. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HOG. 261 

in much smaller numbers than when domesticated. She 
usually carries her young about four months. 

" In the wild state, the hog has been known to live more 
than thirty years ; but when domesticated, he is usually slaugh- 
tered before he is two years old. When the wild hog is tamed, 
it undergoes the following amongst other changes in its 'con- 
formation : The ears become less movable, not being re- 
quired to collect distant sounds ; the formidable tusks of the 
male diminish, not being necessary for self-defence ; the mus- 
cles of the neck become less developed, from not being so 
much exercised as in the natural state ; the head becomes 
more inclined, the back and loins are lengthened, the body 
rendered more capacious, the limbs shorter and less muscular ; 
and anatomy proves that the stomach and intestinal canals 
have also become proportionately extended along with the 
form of the body. The habits and instincts of the animal 
change ; it becomes diurnal in its habits, not choosing the 
night for its search of food ; is more insatiate in its appetite, 
and the tendency to obesity increases. 

" The male, forsaking its solitary habits, becomes gregari- 
ous, and the female produces her young more frequently, and 
in larger numbers. With its diminished strength, and its 
want of active motion, the animal loses its desire for liberty. 

" The true hog does not appear to be indigenous to America, 
but was taken over by the early voyagers from the old world, 
and it is now spread and multiplied throughout the continent. 

" The first settlers of North America and the United States 
carried with them the swine of the parent country, and a 
few of the breeds still retain traces of the old English char- 
acter. From its nature and habits, the hog was the most 
profitable and useful of all the animals bred by the early set- 
tlers in the distant clearings. It was his surest resource during 
the first years of toil and hardship." 

Their widely-extended, foreign commerce afforded the Amer- 

corae to a conclusion that we have long since arrived at — that these prac- 
tices are among the chief causes of deterioration. 



262 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

icans opportunity of procuring the varieties from China, Africa, 
and other countries. The large consumption of pork in the 
United States, and the facilities for disposing of it abroad, will 
probably cause more attention to be paid to the principles of 
breeding, rearing, feeding, &>c. The American farmers are 
doing good service in this department, and any attempt on 
their part to improve the quality of pork ought to meet with 
a corresponding encouragement from the community. We 
have no doubt that many stock-raisers find their profits in- 
crease in proportion to the care bestowed in rearing. Here 
is an example : A Mr. Hallock, of the town of Coxsackie, has. 
a sow which raised forty pigs within a year, which sold for 
$275, — none of them being kept over nine months. Mr. 
Little, of Poland, Ohio, states, in the Cultivator, that he has 
"a barrow three years old, a full-blood Berkshire, which will 
now weigh nearly 1000 pounds, live weight. He was weighed 
on the 3d of October, and then brought down 880 ; since 
which he has improved rapidly, and will doubtless reach the 
above figures. I have had this breed for seven years pure, — 
descended from hogs brought from Albany and Buffalo, and a 
boar imported by Mr. Fahnestock, of Pittsburg, Pa., from 
England, (the latter a very large animal.) The stock have 
all been large and very profitable — weighing, at seven to ten 
months old, from 250 to 300 pounds. Several individuals 
have weighed over 400, and the sire of this present one reached 
750. This is, however, much the largest I have yet raised." 



GENERALITIES 



Dr. Gunther observes, that " the robust constitution of 
the pig causes it to be less liable to fall sick than oxen and 
sheep. It would be still less liable to disease, if persons man- 
ifested more judgment in the choice of the animals to be 
reared, and if more care were shown in the matter. With 



SWINE. GENERAL DEBILITY, OR EMACIATION. 263 

reference to the latter point, it is very true that the voracity 
of the pig urges it to eat every thing it meets ; but to keep 
it in a state of health, it is, notwithstanding, necessary to re- 
strict its regimen to certain rules. The animal which it is 
proposed to fatten should remain under the roof, and receive 
good food there, whilst the others may be sent out for the 
greater part of the year, care being taken to avoid fields that 
are damp and marshy, and that the pigs be preserved from 
the dew. It is also of importance that they should not be 
driven too hard during warm days. 

" There are two other points which deserve to be taken into 
consideration, if we wish swine to thrive : these are, daily 
exercise in the open air whenever the weather permits, and 
cleanliness in the sty. Constant confinement throws them 
into what may be called a morbid state, which renders their 
flesh less wholesome for man. The manner in which the 
animal evinces its joy when set at liberty proves sufficiently 
how disagreeable confinement is to it. A very general preju- 
dice prevails, viz., that dung and filth do not injure swine ; 
this opinion, however, is absurd." 



GENERAL DEBILITY, OR EMACIATION. 

The falling off in flesh, or wasting away, of swine is in 
most cases owing to derangement in the digestive organs. 
The cure consists in restoring the tone of these organs. We 
commence the treatment by putting the animal on a boiled 
diet, consisting of bran, meal, or any wholesome vegetable 
production. The following tonic and diffusible stimulant will 
complete the cure : — 

Powdered golden seal, . . . -> . 

. i equal parts, 

ginger, £ 

Dose, a tea-spoonful, repeated night and morning. 



264 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

When loss in condition is accompanied with cough and 
difficulty of breathing, mix, in addition to the above, a few- 
kernels of garlic with the food. The drink should consist of 
pure water. Should the cough prove troublesome, take a 
tea-spoonful of fir balsam, and the same quantity of honey ; to 
be given night and morning, either in the usual manner, or it 
may be stirred into the food while hot. 



EPILEPSY, OR FITS. 

The symptoms are too well known to need any descrip- 
tion. It is generally caused by plethora, yet it may exist in 
an hereditary form. 

Treatment. — Feed with due care, and put the animal in a 
well-ventilated and clean situation ; give a bountiful supply 
of valerian tea, and sprinkle a small quantity of scraped horse- 
radish in the food ; or give 

Powdered assafoetida, . , . . . 1 ounce. 

" capsicum, . . . . . 1 tea-spoonful. 
Table salt, 1 table-spoonful. 

Mix. Give half a tea-spoonful daily. 



RHEUMATISM. 
Causes. — Exposure, wallowing in filth, &c. 

Symptoms. — It is recognized by a muscular rigidity of the 
whole system. The appetite is impaired, and the animal 
does not leave its sty willingly. 



SWINE. MEASLES. 265 

Treatment. — Keep the animal on a boiled diet, which 
should be given to him warm. Remove the cause by avoid- 
ing exposure and filth, and give a dose of the following : — 

Powdered sulphur, . . . . ) 

" sassafras, .... > equal parts. 

" cinnamon, .... 3 

Dose, half a tea-spoonful, to be given in warm gruel. If 
this does not give immediate relief, dip an old cloth in hot 
water, (of a proper temperature,) and fold it round the ani- 
mal's body. This may be repeated, if necessary, until the 
muscular system is relaxed. The animal should be wiped 
dry, and placed in a warm situation, with a good bed of straw. 



MEASLES. 
This disease is very common, yet is often overlooked. 

Symptoms. - — It may be known by eruptions on the belly, 
ears, tongue, or eyelids. Before the eruption appears, the 
animal is drowsy, the eyes are dull, and there is sometimes 
loss of appetite, with vomiting. On the other hand, if the 
disease shall have receded towards the internal organs, its 
presence can only be determined by the general disturbance 
of the digestive organs, and the appearance of a few erup- 
tions beneath the tongue. 

Treatment. — Remove the animal from its companions to 
a warm place, and keep it on thin gruel. Give a tea-spoonful 
of sulphur daily, together with a drink of bittersweet tea. 
The object is to invite action to the surface, and maintain it 
there, jf the eruption does not reappear on the surface, rub 
it with the following liniment : — 

Take one ounce of oil of cedar ; dissolve in a wine-glass 
34 



266 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

of alcohol ; then add half a pint of new rum and a tea- 
spoonful of sulphur. 

Almost all the diseases of the skin may be treated in the 
same manner. 



OPHTHALMIA. 



Causes. — Sudden changes in temperature, unclean sties, 
want of pure air, and imperfect light. 

Treatment. — Keep the animal on thm gruel, and allow 
two tea-spoonfuls of cream of tartar per day. Wash the 
eyes with an infusion of marshmallows, until a cure is 
effected. 



VERMIN. 

Some animals are covered with vermin, which even pierce 
the skin, and sometimes come out by the mouth, nose, and 
eyes. 

Symptoms. — The animal is continually rubbing and 
scratching itself, or burrowing in the dirt and mire. 

Treatment. — First wash the body with a strong lie of 
wood ashes or weak saleratus water, then with an infusion 
of lobelia. Mix a tea-spoonful of sulphur, and the same quan- 
tity of powdered charcoal, in the food daily. 



SWINE. CATARRH. 267 



RED ERUPTION. 

This disease is somewhat analogous to scarlet fever. It 
makes its appearance in the form of red pustules on the back 
and belly, which gradually extend to the whole body. 

The external remedy is : — 

Powdered bloodroot, half an ounce. 

Boiling vinegar, ...... 1 pint. 

When cool, it should be rubbed on the external surface. 
The diet should consist of boiled vegetables, coarse meal, 
&c, with a small dose of sulphur every night. 



DROPSY. 



Sy?nptoms. — The animal is sad and depressed, the appe- 
tite fails, respiration is performed with difficulty, and the 
belly swells. 

Treatment. — ■ Keep the animal on a light, nutritive diet, 
and give a handful of juniper berries, or cedar buds, daily. 
If these fail, give a table-spoonful of fir balsam daily. 



CATARRH 



Symptoms. — Occasional fits of coughing, accompanied 
with a mucous discharge from the nose and mouth. 

Causes. — Exposure to cold and damp weather. 



268 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Treatment. — Give a liberal allowance of gruel made with 
powdered elm or marshmallows, and give a tea-spoonful of 
balsam copaiba, or fir balsam, every night. The animal must 
be kept comfortably warm. 



COLIC. 

Spasmodic and flatulent colic requires antispasmodics and 
carminatives, in the following form : — 

Powdered caraway seeds, . 1 tea-spoonful. 

" assafcetida, . . . one third of a tea-spoonful. 

To be given at a dose in warm water, and repeated at the 
expiration of an hour, provided relief is not obtained. 



DIARRHCEA. 



For the treatment of this malady, see division Sheep, 
article Scours. 



FRENZY. 



This makes its appearance suddenly. The animal, having 
remained in a passive and stupid state, suddenly appears much 
disturbed, to such a degree that it makes irregular movements, 
strikes its head against every thing it meets, scrapes with its 
feet, places itself quite erect alongside of the sty, bites any 
thing in its way, and frequently whirls itself round, after 
which it suddenly becomes more tranquil. 



SWINE. SORENESS OF THE FEET. 269 

Treatment. — Give half an ounce of Rochelle salts, in a 
pint of thoroughwort tea. If the bowels are not moved in 
the course of twelve hours, repeat the dose. A light diet for 
a few days will generally complete the cure. 



JAUNDICE. 



This disease is recognized by the yellow tint of the con- 
junctiva, (white of the eye,) loss of appetite, &c. 
The remedy is, — 

Powdered golden seal, . . half an ounce. 

" sulphur, . . . one fourth of an ounce. 

" blue flag, . . . half an ounce. 

Flaxseed, 1 pound. 

Mix, and divide into four parts, and give one every night. 
The food must be boiled, and a small quantity of salt added 
to it. 



SORENESS OF THE FEET. 

This often occurs to pigs that have travelled any distance : 
the feet often become tender and sore. In such cases, they 
should be examined, and all extraneous matter removed from 
the foot. Then wash with weak lie. If the feet discharge 
fetid matter, wash with the following mixture : — 

Pyroligneous acid, 2 ounces. 

Water, 4 ounces. 

In the treatment of diseased swine, the " issues," as they 
are called, ought to be examined, and be kept free. They 
may be found on the inside of the legs, just above the pas- 



270 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

tern joint. They seem to serve as a drain or outlet for the 
morbid fluids of the body, and whenever they are obstructed, 
local or general disturbance is sure to supervene. 



SPAYING. 



This is the operation of removing the ovaries of sows, in 
order to prevent any future conception, and promote their fat-, 
tening. (See article Spaying Cows, p. 201.) It is usually 
performed by making an incision in the middle of the flank, 
on the left side, in order to extirpate or cut off the ovaries, 
(female testes,) and then stitching up the wound, and wetting 
the part with Turlington's balsam. An able writer on this 
subject says, " The chief reason why a practice, which is 
beneficial in so many points of view to the interests and ad- 
vantages of the farmer, has been so little attended to, is the 
difficulty which is constantly experienced from the want of a 
sufficient number of expert and proper persons to perform the 
operation. Such persons are far from being common in any, 
much less in every district, as some knowledge, of a nature 
which is not readily acquired, and much experience in the 
practice of cutting, are indispensably necessary to the suc- 
cess of the undertaking. When, however, the utility and 
benefits of the practice become better understood and more 
fully appreciated by the farmer, and the operators more nu- 
merous, much greater attention and importance will be 
bestowed upon it ; as it is capable of relieving him from 
much trouble, of greatly promoting his profits, and of benefit- 
ing him in various ways. The facts are long since well 
proved and ascertained, that animals which have undergone 
this operation are more disposed to take on flesh, more quiet 
in their habits, and capable of being managed with much 
greater ease and facility in any way whatever, than they 
were before the operation was performed. It may also have 



VARIOUS BREEDS OF SWINE. 271 

advantages in other ways in different sorts of animals ; it may 
render the filly nearly equal to the gelded colt for several 
different uses ; and the heifer nearly equal to the ox for all 
sorts of farm labor. The females of some other sorts of ani- 
mals may likewise, by this means, be made to nearly equal 
the castrated males in usefulness for a variety of purposes and 
intentions, and in all cases be rendered a good deal more val- 
uable, or manageable, than they are at present." 



VARIOUS BREEDS OF SWINE. 

BERKSHIRE BREED. 

This breed is distinguished by being in general of a tawny, 
white, or reddish color, spotted with black ; large ears hang- 
ing over the eyes ; thick, close, and well made in the body ; 
legs short ; small in the bone ; having a disposition to fatten 
quickly. When well fed, the flesh is fine. The above county 
has long been celebrated for its breed of swine. The Berk- 
shire breeders have made a very judicious use of the pug cross, 
by not repeating it to the degree of taking away all shape and 
power of growing flesh, in their stock. This breed is sup- 
posed by many to be the most hardy, both in respect to their 
nature and the food on which they are fed. Their powers 
of digestion are exceedingly energetic, and they require con- 
stant good keep, or they will lose flesh very fast. They thrive 
well in the United States, provided, however, due care is 
exercised in breeding. 

HAMPSHIRE BREED. 

This breed is distinguished by being longer in the body 
and neck, but not of so compact a form as the Berkshire. 
They are mostly of a white color, or spotted, and are easily 



272 



AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



fattened. The goodness of the Hampshire hog is proverbial, 
and in England they are generally fattened for hams. 



SHROPSHIRE BREED. 

These are not so well formed as those of the Berkshire kind, 
or equal to them in their disposition to fatten, or to be sup- 
ported on such cheap food. Their color is white or brinded. 
They are flat boned ; deep and flat sided ; harsh, or rather 
wiry-haired j the ear large ; head long, sharp, and coarse : 
legs long ; loin, although very substantial, yet not sufficiently 
wide, considering the great extent of the whole frame. They 
have been much improved by the Berkshire cross. 

There are various other breeds, which take their name from 
the different counties in the mother country. Thus we have 
the Herefordshire, Wiltshire, Yorkshire, &c. Yet they are 
not considered equal to those already alluded to. Many of 
the different English breeds might, however, serve to im- 
prove some species of breed in this country. 

CHINESE BREED. 

This is of small size ; the body being very close, compact, 
and well formed ; the legs very short ; the flesh delicate and 
firm. The prevailing color, in China, is white. They fatten 
very expeditiously on a small quantity of food, and might be 
reared in the United States to good advantage, especially for 
home consumption. 



BOARS AND SOWS FOR BREEDING. 

Mr. Lawson says, " The best stock may be expected from 
the boar at his full growth, but no more than from three to 



REARING PIGS. 273 

five years old.* No sows should be kept open for breeding 
unless they have large, capacious bellies. 

" It may be remarked, in respect to the period of being with 
young, that in the sow it is about four months ; and the usual 
produce is about eight to ten or twelve pigs in the large, but 
more in the smaller breeds. 

"In the ordinary management of swine, sows, after they 
have had a few litters, may be killed ; but no breeder should 
part with one while she continues to bring good litters, and 
rear them with safety." 

Pregnant sows should always be lodged separately, espe- 
cially at the time of bringing forth their young, else the pigs 
would most probably be devoured as they fall. The sow 
should also be attended with due care while pigging, in order 
to preserve the pigs. It is found that dry, warm, comfortable 
lodging is of almost as much importance as food. The 
pigs may be weaned in about eight weeks, after which the 
sow requires less food than she does while nursing. In the 
management of these animals, it is of great utility and ad- 
vantage to separate the males from the females, as it lessens 
their sexual desires. 



REARING PIGS. 



" As the breeding of pigs is a business that affords the farmer 
a considerable profit and advantage in various views, it is of 
essential importance that he be provided with suitable kinds 
of food in abundance for their support. Upon this being 
properly and effectually done, his success and advantage will 
in a great measure depend. The crops capable of being 
cultivated with the most benefit in this intention are, beans, 

# Sows are generally bred from too early — before they come to maturity. 
This not only stints their own growth, but their offspring give evidence of 
deterioration. A sow should never be put to the boar until she be a 
year old. 

35 



274 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

peas, barley, buckwheat, Indian corn, potatoes, carrots, pars- 
nips, Swedish turnips, cabbages, &c. 

" The sows considerably advanced in pig, and those with 
pigs, should be fed in a better manner than the stone pigs. 
The former should be supplied with boiled meal, potatoes, 
carrots, &c, so as to keep them in good condition. The sows 
with pigs should be kept with the litters in separate sties, and 
be still better fed than those with pig. When dairying is 
practised, the wash of that kiud which has been preserved 
for that purpose while the dairying was profitable, must be 
given them, with food of the root kind, such as carrots, pars- 
nips, &c, in as large proportions as they will need to keep 
them in condition." 

Pea-soup is an admirable article when given in this inten- 
tion ; it is prepared by boiling six pecks of peas in about sixty 
gallons of water, till they are well broken down and diffused 
in the fluid : it is then put into a tub or cistern for use. When 
dry food is given in combination with this, or of itself, the 
above writer advises oats, as being much better than any other 
sort of grain for young pigs, barley not answering nearly so 
well in this application. Oats coarsely ground have been 
found very useful for young hogs, both in the form of wash with 
water, and when made of a somewhat thicker consistence. 
But in cases where the sows and pigs can be supported with 
dairy-wash and roots, as above, there will be a considerable 
saving made, by avoiding the use of the expensive articles of 
barley-meal, peas, or bran. 

Mr. Donaldson remarks, that in the usual mode, the pigs 
reared by the farmer are fed, for some weeks after they are 
weaned, on whey or buttermilk, or on bran or barley-meal mixed 
with water. They are afterwards maintained on other food, as 
potatoes, carrots, the refuse of the garden, kitchen, scullery, &c, 
together with such additions as they can pick up in the farm- 
yard. Sometimes they are sent into the fields at the close of 
harvest, where they make a comfortable living for several 
weeks on the gleanings of the crop ; at other times, when the 
farm is situated in the neighborhood of woods or forests, they 



FATTENING HOGS. 275 

are sent thither to pick up the beech-nuts and acorns in the 
fall of the year ; and when they have arrived at a proper age for 
fattening, they are either put into sties fitted up for the purpose, 
or sold to distillers, starch-makers, dairymen, or cottagers. 

Nothing tends more effectually to preserve the health and 
promote the growth of young pigs than the liberal use of 
hay tea. The tea should be thickened with corn meal and 
shorts. This, given lukewarm, twice a day, will quicken 
their growth, and give the meat a rich flavor. A few pars- 
nips * or carrots (boiled) may be made use of with much 
success. 



FATTENING HOGS. 



P. Dodge, of Danvers, Mass., states that, in the spring of 
1848, he " bought, from a drove, seven shotes, the total weight 
of which was 925 pounds. The price paid for them was 
seven cents per pound. They were fed an average of 184 
days, and their average gain was 179 pounds of net pork. 
The cost of the food they consumed was as follows : — 

68 bushels corn at 53 cents, $36 04 

30 « " damaged, at 35 cents, ... 10 50 

50 " " at65^cents, 32 50 

8 " meal at 65 cents, 5 20 

$84 24 
Add first cost of pigs, 64 75 

Making a total cost of $148 99 

" The whole quantity of pork afforded by the pigs killed was 
2178 pounds, which was sold at 6| cents per pound, amounting 

* The Sussex (Eng.) Express says, " At our farm we have been in the 
habit of employing parsnips for this purpose for some time. Upon refer- 
ence to our books, we find that on the 11th of October, 1847, we put up two 
shotes of eleven weeks old, and fed them on skim milk and parsnips for 
three months, when they were killed, weighing 231 and 238 pounds. They 
were well fattened, firm in flesh, and the meat of excellent flavor. The 
quantity of parsnips consumed by them was nine bushels each." 



276 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

to $141 57 ; leaving a balance against the pigs of $7 42. The 
inference from this statement is, that, at the above prices of 
grain, pork could not be profitably produced at six and a half 
cents per pound. Bat it is suggested that something might 
Tje saved by breeding the stock, instead of purchasing shotes 
at seven cent^ per pound, live weight. It is thought, how- 
ever, that the manure afforded by the hogs would be of suffi- 
cient value to more than overbalance any deficiency which 
might appear in the account by only crediting the pork." 

The food in the above case was too costly. One half of 
it, mixed with parsnips, carrots, beets, or turnips, would have 
answered the purpose better. The balance would then have 
been in favor of the pigs. We are told, by an able writer on 
swine, that they will feed greedily, and thrive surprisingly, 
on most kinds of roots and tubers, such as carrots, beets, 
parsnips, potatoes, &c, particularly when prepared by boiling. 
It may be taken as a general rule, that boiled or prepared food 
is more nutritious and fattening than raw or cold food ; the 
additional expense and labor will be more than compensated 
by the increased weight and quality. 

Cornstalks might be used as food for swine by first cutting 
them * in small pieces, and then boiling them until they are 
quite soft ; a small quantity of meal is then to be mixed in the 
fluid, and the stalks again added, and fed to the pigs twice a day. 

Mr. P. Wing, of Farmersville, C. W., gives us his experi- 
ence in feeding swine ; and he requests his brother farmers to 
make similar experiments with various kinds of food, and, by 
preparing them in various ways, to ascertain what way it 
will yield the most nutriment — that is, make the most pork. 
He says, — 

" I now give the result of feeding 100 bushels of good peas 
to sixteen hogs, of various mixed breeds, as found in this 
section. The peas were boiled until fine, making what I 
call thick soup. After having fed the hogs on the same kind 

# Messrs. Parker & White, in Boston, have shown us an excellent ma- 
chine used for the purpose of cutting cornstalks. Every farmer should have 
one in hi3 possession. 



FATTENING HOGS. 277 

of food for two weeks, I gave them their morning feed, and 
weighed each one separately, noting the weight. Twelve of 
them were about eighteen months old ; one was a three year 
old sow, and three pigs were seven and a half months old 
when weighed. I found their total weight 4267 lbs. ; and 
after consuming the above amount, which took forty-two 
days, I weighed them again, and found that they had gained 
1358 lbs. ; and on the supposition that as they gained in flesh 
they shrunk in offal, I estimated their net gain to have been 
1400 lbs. Their drink consisted of ten pails of whey per 
day. It was allowed to stand forty-eight hours, and the 
cream was skimmed off. 

" I find that there is a great difference in breeds of hogs. 
The three year old sow was small framed, and pretty full- 
fleshed, weighing 504 lbs. Her gain in the forty-two days was 
66 lbs. The three pigs were from her, and showed traces of 
three distinct breeds of. hogs. Their first weight and gain 
were as follows : the first weighed 253 lbs. — gain, 97 lbs. ; 
the second, 218 lbs. — gain, 75 lbs.; the third, 171 lbs. — 
gain, 46 lbs. When butchered, the smallest one was the best 
pork, being the fattest. Two of the most inferior of the 
hogs gained 1J lbs. per day ; six, a mixture of the Berkshire, 
(I should think about one fourth,) gained 1| lbs. per day; 
three of the common stock of our country gained 2J lbs. ; 
and one of a superior kind weighed 318 lbs., and in the forty- 
two days gained 134 lbs. They were weighed on the 20th 
September, the first time. They were kept confined in a 
close pen, except once a week I let them out for exercise, 
and to wallow, for the most part of a day." 



METHOD OF CURING SWINE'S FLESH. 

" In the county of Kent, when pork is to be cured as 
bacon, it is the practice to singe off the hairs by making a 
straw fire round the carcass — an operation which is termed 



278 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

swaling. The skin, in this process, should be kept perfectly 
free from dirt of all sorts. When the flitches are cut out, 
they should be rubbed effectually with a mixture of common 
salt and saltpetre, and afterwards laid in a trough, where they 
are to continue three weeks or a month, according to their 
size, keeping them frequently turned ; and then, being taken 
out of the trough, are to be dried by a slack fire, which will 
take up an equal portion of time with the former ; after 
which, they are to be hung up, or thrown upon a rack, 
there to remain until wanted. But in curing bacon on the 
continent, it is mostly the custom to have closets contrived in 
the chimneys, for the purpose of drying and smoking by 
wood fires, which is said to be more proper for the purpose. 
And a more usual mode of curing this sort of meat is that of 
salting it down for pickled pork, which is far more profitable 
than bacon. 

" In the county of Westmoreland, where the curing of 
hams has long been practised with much success, the usual 
method is for them to be at first rubbed very hard with bay 
salt ; by some they are covered close up ; by others they are 
left on a stone bench, to allow the brine and blood to run off. 
At the end of five days, they are again rubbed, as hard as 
they were at first, with salt of the same sort, mixed with an 
ounce of saltpetre to a ham. Having lain about a week, 
either on a stone bench or in hogsheads amongst the brine, 
they are hung up, by some in the chimney, amidst the smoke, 
whether of peat or coals ; by others in places where the 
smoke never reaches them. If not sold sooner, they are suf- 
fered to remain there till the weather becomes warm. They 
are then packed in hogsheads with straw or oatmeal husks, 
and sent to the place of sale." 

A small portion of pyroligneous acid may be added to the 
brine. It is a good antiseptic, and improves the flavor of 
ham and bacon. (See Acid, Pyroligneous, in the Materia 
Medica. ) 



APPENDIX 



ON THE ACTION OF MEDICINES. 

In reference to the action of medicines and external agents 
on the animal body, we would observe, that warmth and 
moisture always expand it, and bayberry bark, tannin, and 
gum catechu always contract it ; and that these agents have 
these effects at all times (provided, however, there be suffi- 
cient vitality in the part to manifest these peculiar changes) 
and under all circumstances. If a blister be applied to the 
external surface of an animal, and it produces irritation, it 
always has a tendency to produce that effect, whatever, part 
of the living organism it may be applied to. So alcohol 
always has a tendency to stimulate ; whether given by the 
mouth, or rubbed on the external surface, it will produce an 
excitement of nerves, heart, and arteries, and of course the 
muscles partake of the influence. Again, marshmallows, 
gum acacia, slippery elm, &c, always lubricate the mucous 
surfaces, quiet irritation, and relieve inflammatory symptoms. 

It follows, of course, 1st. That when any other effects 
than those just named are seen to follow the administration 
of these articles, they must be attributed to the morbid state 
of the parts to which they are applied ; 2d. That a medicine 
which is good to promote a given effect in one form of dis- 
ease, will be equally good for the same purpose in another 
form of disease in the same tissue. Thus, if an infusion of 
mallows is good for inflammation of the stomach, and will 



280 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

lubricate the surface, and allay irritation in that organ, then 
it is equally good for the same purpose in inflammation of the 
bowels and bladder. What we wish the reader to under- 
stand is this : that a medicine used for any particular symp- 
tom in one form of disease, if it be a sanative agent, is equal- 
ly good for the same symptom in every form. Medical men 
range their various remedies under different heads. Thus 
opium is called narcotic, aloes purgative or cathartic, potass 
diuretic, &c. And because the same results do not always 
follow the administration of these articles, they are perplexed, 
and are compelled to try every new remedy, in hopes to find 
a specific j not knowing that many of their " best medi- 
cines " (opium, for example) war against the vital principle, 
and as soon as they get into the system, nature sets up a 
strong action to counteract their effects ; in short, to get them 
out of the system in the quickest possible manner : sometimes 
they pass through the kidneys ; at other times, the intestinal 
canal, the lungs, or surface, afford them egress. And because 
a certain agent does not always act in their hands with un- 
erring certainty, they seem to suppose that the same uncer- 
tainty attends the administration of every article in the ma- 
teria medica. The medicines we recommend owe their 
diuretic, astringent, diaphoretic, and cathartic powers to their 
aromatic, relaxing, antispasmodic, lubricating, and irritating 
properties ; and if we give them with a view of producing a 
certain result, and they do not act just as we wish, it is no 
proof that they have not done good. The fact is, all our 
medicines act on the parts where nature is making the great- 
est efforts to restore equilibrium ; hence they relieve the con- 
stitution, whatever may be the nature of their results. 

Many of the remedies recommended in this work are de- 
nounced by the United States Dispensatory as "useless, 
inert," &c. ; yet many of our most celebrated physicians are 
in the daily habit of using them. Mr. Bracy Clark, V. S., 
recommends tincture of allspice for gripes. And Mr. Causer, 
an experienced veterinarian, says, " I ordered a dessert spoon- 
ful (about two drachms) of tincture of gentian and bark to 



APPENDIX. CLYSTERS. 28 1 

be given twice a day in a case of gripes. Scarcely an hour 
after the animal had taken the first dose, he began to eat 
some hay, and on the next day he ate every thing that was 
offered him. After this, I ordered a quart of cold boiled 
milk to be given him every morning and evening. By these 
means, together with the good care of the coachman, he re- 
covered his strength." Mr. White, V. S., says, " I have been 
assured by a veterinary surgeon, that he once cured a horse 
of gripes by a dose of hot water; and it is by no means un- 
likely that a warm infusion of some of our medicinal herbs, 
such as peppermint, pennyroyal, rosemary, &c, would be 
found effectual." 

Mr. Gibson says, " It is a fact that cannot be too generally 
known, that an infusion of garlic has, to my certain knowl- 
edge, cured several cases of epilepsy — a dreadful disease, 
that seems to have baffled, in most instances, every effort of 
medical skill." 

An intelligent farmer assures Dr. White that he has had 
forty sheep at a time hoven or blasted from feeding on vetches, 
and so swollen that he hardly knew which would drop 
first. His usual remedy was a quart of water for each sheep ; 
and that generally had the desired effect, though many died 
before it could be given. We might give our own experi- 
ence in favor of numberless simple agents, which we are in 
the constant habit of using, were it necessary ; suffice it to 
say, that at the present time we use nothing else than sim- 
ple means. 



CLYSTERS. 



Remarks. — As the more general use of clysters is recom- 
mended by the author, especially in acute diseases, he has 
thought proper to introduce, in this part of the work, a few 
remarks on them, with examples of their different forms. 
They serve not only to evacuate the rectum of its contents, 
36 



282 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

but assist to evacuate the intestines, and serve also to convey 
nourishment into the system ; as in cases of locked-jaw, and 
great prostration. They soften the hardened excrement in 
the rectum, and cause it to be expelled ; besides, by their 
warm and relaxing powers, they act as fomentations. A 
stimulating clyster in congestion of the brain, or lungs, will 
relieve those parts by counter-irritation. An animal that is 
unable to swallow may be supported by nourishing clysters ; 
for the lacteals, which open into the inner cavity of the intes- 
tines, absorb, or take up, the nourishment, and convey it into 
the thoracic duct, as already described. Some persons deny 
the utility of injections. We are satisfied on that point, and. 
are able to convince any one, beyond a reasonable doubt, 
that fluids are absorbed in the rectum, notwithstanding the 
opinion of some men to the contrary. 

In administering clysters, it ought always to be observed 
that the fluids should be neither too hot nor too cold : they 
should be about the temperature of the blood. The common 
sixteen-ounce metal syringe, with a wooden pipe about six 
inches in length, and gradually tapering from base to point, is 
to be preferred. It is, after being oiled, much more easily 
introduced into the fundament than one that is considerably 
smaller ; and, having a blunt point, there is no danger of 
hurting the animal, or wounding the rectum. 

The following injections are suitable for all kinds of ani- 
mals. The quantity, however, should be regulated according 
to the size of the patient. Thus a quart will suffice for a sheep 
or pig, while three or four quarts are generally necessary in the 
case of horses and cattle. If clysters are intended to have a 
nutritive effect, they must be introduced in the most gentle 
manner, and not more than one pint should be given at any 
one time, for fear of exciting the expulsive action of the rec- 
tum. In constriction and intussusception of the intestines, 
and when relaxing clysters are indicated, they should not be 
too long persevered in, for falling of the rectum has been 
known, in many instances, to arise from repeated injections. 
Efforts should be made to relax the whole animal by warmth 



APPENDIX. CLYSTERS. 283 

and moisture externally, and in the use of antispasmodic teas, 
rather than to place too much dependence on clysters. 



FOKMS OF CLYSTERS. 

Laxative Clyster. 

Warm water, . . . . . . 3 or 4 quarts. 

Linseed oil, 8 ounces. 

Common salt, (fine,) .... 1 table-spoonful. 

Another. 

Warm water, 4 quarts. 

Soft soap, 1 gill. 

Fine salt, half a table-spoonful. 

Use. — Either of the above clysters is useful in obstinate 
constipation, " stoppage," or whenever the excrement is hard 
and dark colored. ■ 

Emollient Clyster. 

Slippery elm bark, 2 ounces. 

Boiling water, 2 quarts. 

Let them simmer over the fire for a few minutes, then 
strain through a fine sieve, and inject. The following arti- 
cles may be substituted for elm : flaxseed, lily roots, gum 
arabic, poplar bark, Iceland moss. 

Use. — In all cases of irritation and inflammation of the 
intestines and bladder. 

Stimulating Clyster. 

Thin mucilage of slippery elm 

or linseed tea, 3 quarts. 

African cayenne,* 1 tea-spoonful. 

* A large portion of the cayenne found in the stores is adulterated with 
logwood, and is positively injurious, as it would thus prove astringent 



284 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Another. 

Powdered ginger, .... half a table-spoonful. 
Boiling water, 3 quarts. 

When cool, inject. 

Use. — In all cases, when the rectum and small intestines 
are inactive, and loaded with excrement, or gas. 

Anodyne Clyster. 

Lady's slipper, (cypripedinm,) ... 1 ounce. 

Camomile flowers, . 1 ounce. 

Boiling water, . . 3 quarts. 

Let the mixture stand a short time, then strain through a 
fine sieve, when it will be fit for use. 

Use. — To relieve pain and relax spasms. 

Diuretic Clyster. 

Linseed tea, 3 quarts. 

Oil of juniper, 1 table-spoonful. 

Or, substitute for the latter, cream of tartar, half an ounce. 

Use. — This form of clyster may be used with decided 
advantage in all acute diseases of the urinary organs. This 
injection is useful in cases of red water, both in cattle and 
sheep ; and when the malady is supposed to result from gen- 
eral or local debility, the addition of tonics (golden seal or 
gentian * ) will be indicated. 

Astringent Clyster. 

Take an infusion of hardhack, strain, and add a table- 
spoonful of finely-pulverized charcoal to every three quarts 
of fluid. 

* Their active properties may be extracted by infusion. 



APPENDIX. CLYSTERS. 285 

Another. 
An infusion of witch hazel. 

Another. 

Powdered bayberry bark, ... 1 table-spoonful. 
Boiling water, . 3 quarts. 

When cool, it is fit for use. 

Use. — Astringent injections are used in all cases where it 
is desired to contract the living fibre, as in scouring, dysentery, 
scouring rot, diarrhoea, bloody flux, falling of the womb, 
fundament, &c. 

Nourishing Clyster. 

Nourishing clysters are composed of thin gruel made from 
flour, &c. 

Injection for Worms. 

Make an infusion of pomegranate, (rind of the fruit,) and 
inject every night for a few days. This will rid the animal 
of worms that infest the rectum ; but if the animal is infested 
with the long, round worm, (teres,) then half a pint of the 
above infusion must be given for a few mornings, before 
feeding. 

Another for Worms. 

Powdered lobelia, 1 ounce. 

Wood ashes, a handful. 

Boiling water, 3 quarts. 

When cool, it is fit for use. 



286 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



INFUSIONS. 

These are made by steeping herbs, roots, and other medici- 
nal substances in boiling water. No particular rules can be 
laid down as to the quantity of each article required : it will, 
however, serve as some sort of a guide, to inform the reader 
that we generally use from one to two ounces of the aromatic 
herbs and roots to every quart of fluid. A bitter infusion, 
such as wormwood or camomile, requires less of the herb. 
All kinds of infusions can be rendered palatable by the addi- 
tion of a small quantity of honey or molasses. As a general 
rule, the human palate is a good criterion ; for if an infusion 
be too strong or unpalatable for man, it is unfit for cattle or 
sheep. We do not depend so much on the strength of our 
agents : the great secret is to select the one best adapted to 
the case in view. If it be an agent that is capable of acting 
in concert with nature, then the weaker it is, the better. In 
short, nature requires but slight assistance under all ordinary 
circumstances, unless the animal is evidently suffering from 
debility ; then our efforts must act in concert with the living 
powers. We must select the most nutritious food — that 
which can be easily converted into blood, bones, and muscles. 
If, on the other hand, we gave an abundance of provender, 
and it lacked the constituents necessary for the purposes in 
view, or was of such an indigestible nature that its nutritive 
properties could not be extracted by the gastric fluids, this 
would be just as bad as giving improper medicines, both in 
reference to its quantity and quality. 

An infusion of either of the following articles is valuable 
in colic, both flatulent and spasmodic, in all classes of ani- 
mals : caraways, peppermint, spearmint, fennel-seed, angelica, 
bergamot, snakeroot, aniseed, ginseng, &c. 



APPENDIX. FOMENTATIONS. 287 



ANTISPASMODICS. 

By antispasmodics are meant those articles that assist, 
through their physiological action, in relaxing the nervous 
and muscular systems. Hence the reader will perceive, by 
the definition we have given of this class of remedies, that 
we cannot recommend or employ the agents used by our 
brethren of the allopathic school, for many of them act 
pathologically. The class we use are simple, yet none the 
the less efficient. 

Professor Curtis says, when alluding to the action of me- 
dicinal agents, " Experiments have shown that many vegeta- 
ble substances, which seem in themselves quite bland and 
harmless, are antidotes to various poisons. Thus the skull- 
cap {Scutellaria laterifolia) is said to be a remedy for hydro- 
phobia, the alisma plantago and polemo?iium reptans for the 
bites of serpents, and lobelia for the sting of insects. They 
are good ; but why ? Because they are permanently relaxing 
and stimulating, and depurate the whole system." 

Natural antispasmodics are warmth and moisture. The 
medicinal ones are lobelia, Indian hemp, castor musk, ginseng, 
assafoetida, pleurisy root, Virginia snakeroot, camomile, worm- 
wood. The above are only specimens. There is no limit 
to the number and variety of articles in the vegetable king- 
dom that will act as antispasmodics or relaxants. They may 
be given internally or applied externally : the effect is the 
same. 



FOMENTATIONS. 



This class of remedies is usually composed of relaxants, 
&c, of several kinds, combined with tonics, stimulants, and 
anodynes. They are very useful to relieve pain, to remove 
rigidity, to restore tone, and to stimulate the parts to which 
they are applied. 



288 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Common Fomentation. 

Wormwood, } 

Tansy, > equal parts. 

Hops, J 

Moisten them with equal parts of boiling water and vine- 
gar, and apply them blood warm. 

Use. — For all kinds of bruises and sprains. They should 
be confined to the injured parts, and kept moist with the su- 
perabundant fluid. When it is not practicable to confine a 
fomentation to the injured parts, as in shoulder or hip lame- 
ness, constant bathing with the decoction will answer the 
same purpose. 

Anodyne Fomentation. 

Hops, a handful. 

White poppy heads, .... 1 ounce. 
Water and vinegar, .... equal parts. 

Simmer a few minutes. 
Use. — In all painful bruises. 

Relaxing Fomentation. 

Powdered lobelia, 2 ounces. 

Boiling water, 2 quarts. 

Simmer for a few minutes, and when sufficiently cool, bathe 
the parts with a soft sponge. 

Use. — In all cases of stiff joints, and rigidity of the mus- 
cles. Animals often lie down in wet pastures, from which 
rheumatism and stiffness of the joints arise. In such cases, 
the animal must be taken from grass for a few days, and the 
affected parts be faithfully bathed. 

Stimulating Fomentation. 
Cedar buds, or boughs, any quantity, to which add a 



APPENDIX. WASHES. 289 

small quantity of red pepper and ginger, boiling water 
sufficient. 

Use. — This will be found very efficacious in chronic lame- 
ness and paralysis, for putrid sore throat, and when the glands 
are enlarged from cold and catarrh. 



MUCILAGES. 



Mucilages are soft, bland substances, made by dissolving 
gum arabic in hot water ; or by boiling marshmallows, slip- 
pery elm, or lily roots, until their mucilaginous properties are 
extracted. A table-spoonful of either of the above articles, 
when powdered, will generally suffice for a quart of water. 

Use. — In all cases of catarrh, diarrhoea, inflammation of 
the kidneys, womb, bladder, and intestines. They shield the 
mucous membranes, and defend them from the action of poi- 
sons and drastic cathartics. 



WASHES. 



Washes generally contain some medicinal agent, and are 
principally used externally. 

Wash for Diseases of the Feet. 

Pyroligneous acid, 4 ounces. 

Water, 8 ounces. 

Use. — This wash excels every other in point of efficacy, 
and removes rot and its kindred diseases sooner than any other. 
37 



290 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Cooling Wash for the Eye. 

Rain water, 1 pint. 

Acetic acid, 20 drops. 

Use. — In ophthalmia. 

Tonic and Antispasmodic Wash, 

Camomile flowers, half an ounce. 

Boiling water, 1 pint. 

When cool, strain through fine linen. 

Use. — In chronic diseases of the eye, and when a weeping 
remains after an acute attack. 



Wash for unhealthy (or ulcerated) Sores. 
A weak solution of sal soda or wood ashes. 

Wash for Diseases of the Skin. 

Take one ounce of finely-pulverized charcoal, pour on it 
one ounce of pyroligneous acid, then add a pint of water. 
Bottle, and keep it well corked. It may be applied to the 
skin by means of a sponge. It is also an excellent remedy 
for ill-conditioned ulcers. 



PHYSIC FOR CATTLE. 

Extract of butternut, (juglans cinerea,) , half an ounce. 

Cream of tartar, 1 tea-spoonful. 

Boiling water, 2 quarts. 

Mix. When cool, administer. 



APPENDIX. PHYSIC FOR CATTLE. 291 

Another. 

Extract of blackroot, (leptandra virginica,) . half an ounce. 

Rochelle salts, 1 ounce. 

Powdered ginger, . ^ tea-spoonful. 

Dissolve in two quarts of warm water. 

Another. 

Powdered mandrake, .... 1 table-spoonful. 

Cream of tartar, 1 tea-spoonful. 

Hot water, 2 quarts. 

Here are three different forms of physic for cattle, which 
do not debilitate the system, like aloes and salts, because they 
determine to the surface as well as the bowels. They may 
be given in all cases where purges are necessary. One third 
of the above forms will suffice for sheep. 

MILD PHYSIC FOR CATTLE. 

Sirup of buckthorn, .... 2 ounces. 

Sulphur, half a table-spoonful. 

Ginger, half a tea-spoonful. 

Hot water, 2 quarts. 

Aperient. 

Linseed oil, 1 pint. 

Yolks of two eggs. 

Mix. 

Another. 

Sweet oil, 1 pint. 

Powdered cayenne, .... half a tea-spoonful. 

Mix. 

A sheep will require about one half of the above. 



292 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Stimulating Tincture, 

Boiling vinegar, 1 pint. 

Tincture of myrrh, 2 ounces. 

Powdered capsicum, 2 tea-spoonfuls. 

Use. — For external application in putrid sore throat. 

Another. 

Tincture of camphor, . . • . . 4 ounces. 
Oil of cedar, ........ half an ounce. 

Tincture of capsicum, (hot drops,) . 4 ounces. 

To be rubbed around the throat night and morning. 

Stimulating Tincture for Chronic Rheumatism. 

Tincture of capsicum, 4 ounces. 

Oil of cedar, 1 ounce. 

Oil of wormwood, 1 ounce. 

Vinegar, half a pint. 

Goose grease, 1 gill. 

Mix. To be applied night and morning. The mixture 
should be kept in a well-corked bottle, and shaken before 
being used. 



POULTICES 



Preliminary Remarks. — As oxen, sheep, and pigs are lia- 
ble to have accumulations of matter, in the form of abscess, 
resulting from injury or from the natural termination of dis- 
eases, it becomes a matter of importance that the farmer 
should rightly understand their character and treatment. If 
a foreign substance enters the flesh, the formation of matter 
is a part of the process by which nature rids the system of 



APPENDIX. POULTICES. 293 

the enemy. A poultice relaxing and lubricating will then he 
indicated. If, however, the foreign body shall have entered 
at a point where it is impossible to confine a poultice, then 
the suppurative stage may be shortened by the application of 
relaxing fomentations, and lastly, by stimulants. It is a law 
of the animal economy, that, unless there be some obstacle, 
matter always seeks its exit by an external opening ; audit 
becomes part of our duty to aid nature in her efforts to accom- 
plish this salutary object. Nature requires aid in consequence 
of the unyielding character of the hide, and the length of time 
it takes to effect an opening through it. Animals are known 
to suffer immensely from the pressure a large accumulation of 
pus makes on the surrounding nerves, &c, and. also from the 
reabsorption of this pus when it cannot readily make its exit. 
This is not all ; for, if pus accumulates, and cannot in due 
time find an outlet, it produces destruction of the blood-ves- 
sels, nerves, and surrounding tissues. These vessels are dis- 
tributed to the different surfaces ; their supply of blood and 
nervous energy being cut off, they decompose, and in their turn 
become pus, and their open mouths allow the morbid matter 
to enter the circulation, and thus poison the blood. Hence it 
becomes our duty, whenever matter can be distinctly felt, to 
apply that sort of poultice which will be most likely to aid 
nature. 

There is no article in the materia medica of so much value 
to the farmer as marshmallows ; he cannot place too much 
value on it. Whether he uses it in his own family or con- 
fines it exclusively to cattle practice, it is equally valuable. 
It has numerous advantages over many similar remedies : the 
most important one to the farmer is, that it can be procured 
in this country at a small cost. We have used it for a num- 
ber of years, and in many cases we consider it our sheet- 
anchor. In short, we cannot supply its place. 

Mr. Cobbett says, " I cannot help mentioning another herb, 
which is used for medicinal purposes. I mean the marsh- 
mallows. It is amongst the most valuable of plants that ever 
grew. Its leaves stewed, and applied wet, will cure, and 



294 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

almost instantly cure, any cut, or bruise, or wound of any 
sort. Poultices made of it will cure sprains ; fomenting with 
it will remove swellings ; applications of trie liquor will cure 
chafes made by saddles and harness; and its operation, in all 
cases, is so quick that it is hardly to be believed. Those who 
have this weed at hand need not put themselves to the trouble 
and expense of sending to doctors and farriers on trifling occa- 
sions. It signifies not whether the wound be old or new. 
The mallows, if you have it growing near you, may be used 
directly after it is gathered, merely washing off the dirt first. 
But there should be some always ready in the house for use. 
It should be gathered just before it blooms, and dried and 
preserved just in the same manner as other herbs. It should 
be observed, however, that, if it should happen not to be 
gathered at the best season, it may be gathered at any time. 
I had two striking instances of the efficacy of mallows. A 
neighboring farmer had cut his thumb in a very dangerous 
manner, and, after a great deal of doctoring, it had got to such 
a pitch that his hand was swelled to twice its natural size. 
I recommended the use of the mallows to him, gave him a 
little bunch out of my store, (it being winter time,) and his 
hand was well in four days. He could go out to his work 
the very next day, after having applied the mallows over 
night. The other instance was this. I had a valuable hog, 
that had been gored by a cow. It had been in this state for 
two days before I knew of the accident, and had eaten noth- 
ing. The gore was in the side, making a large wound. I 
poured in the liquor in which the mallows had been stewed, 
and rubbed the side w T ell with it. The next day the hog got 
up and began to eat. On examining the wound, I found it 
so far closed that I did not think it right to disturb it. I 
bathed the side again ; and in two days the hog was turned 
out, and was running about along with the rest. Now, a per- 
son must be criminally careless not to make provision of this 
herb. Mine was nearly two years old when I made use of it 
upon the last-mentioned occasion. If the use of this weed 
was generally adopted, the art and mystery of healing 



APPENDIX. POULTICES. 295 

wounds, and of curing sprains, swellings, and other external 
maladies, would very quickly be reduced to an unprofitable 
trade." 

Lubricating and healing Poultice. 



Powdered marshmallow roots, 
Marshmallow 



rsnmauow roots. . . ) 

, £ equal parts. 

leaves, 5 

Moisten with boiling water, and apply. 

Use. — In ragged cuts, wounds, and bruises. 

Stimulating Poultice. 

Indian meal, ) 

*,,.:; > equal parts. 

Slippery elm, ) 

Mix them together, and add sufficient boiling water to 
moisten the mass. Spread it on a cloth, and sprinkle a small 
quantity of powdered cayenne on its surface. 

Use. — To stimulate ill-conditioned ulcers to healthy ac- 
tion. Where there is danger of putrescence, add a small 
quantity of powdered charcoal. 

Poultice for Bruises. 

Nothing makes so good a poultice for recent bruises as 
boiled carrots or marshmallows. 



Poultice to promote Suppuration. 

Indian meal, a sufficient quantity. 

Linseed, a handful. 

Cayenne, 1 tea-spoonful. 

To be moistened with boiling vinegar, and applied at the 
usual temperature. 



296 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



STYPTICS, TO ARREST BLEEDING. 

Witch hazel, (winter bloom,) bark or leaves, 2 ounces. 

Make a decoction with the smallest possible quantity of 
water, and if the bleeding is from the nose, throw it up by- 
means of a syringe ; if from the stomach, lungs, or bowels, 
add more water, and let the animal drink it, and give some 
by injection. 

Styptic to arrest external Bleeding. 

Wet a piece of lint with tincture of muriate of iron, and 
bind it on the part. 

There are various other styptics, such as alum water, strong 
tincture of nutgalls, bloodroot, common salt, fine flour, &c. 



ABSORBENTS. 



Remarks. — Absorbents are composed of materials partak- 
ing of an alkaline character, and are used for the purpose of 
neutralizing acid matter. The formation of an acid in the 
stomach arises from some derangement of the digestive or- 
gans, sometimes brought on by the improper quantity or 
quality of the food. It is useless, therefore, to give absorb- 
ents, with a view of neutralizing acid, unless the former are 
combined with tonics, or agents that are capable of restoring 
the stomach to a healthy state. This morbid state of the 
stomach is recognized in oxen by a disposition to eat all kinds 
of trash that comes in their way, such as dirt, litter, &c. 
They are frequently licking themselves, and often swallow a 
great deal of hair, which is formed into balls in the stomach, 
and occasions serious irritation. Calves, when fattening, are 
often fed so injudiciously, that the stomach is incapable of 
reducing the food to chyme and chyle : the consequence is, 



APPENDIX. ABSORBENTS. 297 

that a large amount of carbonic acid gas is evolved. Many 
calves and lambs die from this cause. 

A mixture of chalk, saleratus, and soda is often given by 
farmers ; yet they do not afford permanent relief. They do 
some good by correcting the acidity of the stomach ; but the 
animals are often affected with diarrhoea, or costiveness, loss 
of appetite, colic, and convulsions. Attention to the diet 
would probably do more than all the medicine in the world. 
Yet if they do get sick, something must be done. The best 
forms of absorbents are the following : they restore healthy 
action to the lost function at the same time that they neutral- 
ize the gas. 

FORMS OF ABSORBENTS. 

Powdered charcoal, .... 1 table-spoonful. 

" snakeroot, .... half a table-spoonful. 

" caraways, .... 1 tea-spoonful. 
Hot water, .1 quart. 

Mix. To be given at one dose, for a cow ; half the quan- 
tity, or indeed one third, is sufficient for a calf, sheep, or pig. 

Another. 

Powdered charcoal, 1 table-spoonful. 

To be given in thoroughwort tea, to which may be added 
a very small portion of ginger. 

Another, adapted to City Use. 

Subcarbonate of soda, 1 tea-spoonful. 

Tincture of gentian, 1 ounce. 

Infusion of spearmint, 1 pint. 

Mix. Give a cow the whole at a dose, and repeat daily, 
for a short time, if necessary. One half the quantity will 
suffice for a smaller animal. 

38 



298 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Drink for Coughs. 

Balm of Gilead buds, .... half an ounce. 

Honey, 2 table-spoonfuls. 

Vinegar, 1 wine-glassful. 

Water, 1 pint. 

Set the mixture on the fire, in an earthen vessel ; let it 
simmer a few minutes. When cool, strain, and it is fit for 
use. Dose, a wine-glassful, twice a day. 

Another. 

Balsam copaiba, 1 ounce. 

Powdered licorice, 1 ounce. 

Honey, 2 table-spoonfuls. 

Boiling water, 1 quart. 

Rub the copaiba, licorice, and honey together in a mortar ; 
after they are well mixed, add the water. Dose, half a pint, 
night and morning. 

Another. 

Balsam of Tolu, half an ounce. 

Powdered marshmallow roots, . . 1 ounce. 

Honey, half a gill. 

Boiling water, ....... 2 quarts. 

Mix. Dose, half a pint, night and morning. 

Drink for a Cow after Calving. 

Bethwort, 1 ounce. 

Marshmallows, 1 ounce. 

First make an infusion of bethwort by simmering it in a 
quart of water. When cool, strain, and stir in the mallows. 
Dose, half a pint, every two hours. 



APPENDIX. MATERIA MEDICA. 299 



VETERINARY MATERIA MEDICA, 

EMBRACING A LIST OF THE VARIOUS REMEDIES USED BY 
THE AUTHOR OF THIS WORK IN THE PRACTICE OF MED- 
ICINE ON CATTLE, SHEEP, AND SWINE. 

Acacia, Catechu, or Japan Earth. It is a powerful as- 
tringent and tonic, and given, in half tea-spoonful doses, in 
mucilage of slippery elm or mallows, is a valuable remedy in 
diarrhoea, or excessive discharges of urine. 

Acacia Gum makes a good mucilage, and is highly recom- 
mended in diseases of the mucous surfaces and urinary or- 
gans. It is highly nutritious, and consequently can be given 
with advantage in locked-jaw. 

Acetum, (vinegar.) This is cooling, and a small portion 
of it, with an equal quantity of honey, administered in thin 
gruel, makes an excellent drink in fevers. Diluted with an 
equal quantity of water, it is employed externally in bruises 
and sprains. It neutralizes pestilential effluvia, and, com- 
bined with capsicum, makes a good application for sore 
throat. 

Acid, Pyroligneous. This is one of the most valuable 
articles in the whole materia rnedica. Diluted with equal 
parts of water, it is applied to ill-conditioned sores and ulcers ; 
it acts as an antiseptic and stimulant. It is obtained from 
wood by destructive distillation in close vessels. This acid is 
advantageously applicable to the preservation of animal food. 
Mr. William Ramsay {Edinburgh Philosophical Journal^ 
hi. 21) has made some interesting experiments on its use for 
this purpose. Herrings and other fish, simply dipped in the acid 
and afterwards dried in the shade, were effectually preserved, 
and, when eaten, were found very agreeable to the taste. 
Herrings slightly cured with salt, by being sprinkled with it 
for six hours, then drained, next immersed in pyroligneous 
acid for a few seconds, and afterwards dried in the shade for 
two months, were found by Mr. Ramsay to be of fine quality 



300 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

and flavor. Fresh beef, dipped in the acid, in the summer 
season, for the short space of a minute, was perfectly sweet 
in the following spring. Professor Silliman states, that one 
quart of the acid added to the common pickle for a barrel of 
hams, at the time they are laid down, will impart to them the 
smoked flavor as perfectly as if they had undergone the com- 
mon process of smoking. 

Alder Bark, Black, (prinos verticillatus.) A strong de- 
coction makes an excellent wash for diseases of the skin, in 
all classes of domestic animals. 

Allium, (garlic.) This is used chiefly as an antispasmodic. 
It improves all the secretions, and promotes the function of. 
the skin and kidneys. It is useful also to expel wind and 
worms. A few kernels may be chopped fine and mixed with 
the food. When used for the purpose of expelling worms, an 
ounce of the root should be boiled in a pint of milk, and 
given in the morning, about an hour before feeding. 

Aloes. The best kind is brought from the Island of Socotra, 
and is supposed to be more safe in its operation than the other 
kinds. In consequence of the irritative properties of aloes, 
they are ill adapted to cattle practice ; and as a safer article 
has been recommended, (see Physic for Cattle,) we have en- 
tirely dispensed with them. 

Althea, (marshmallows.) See Remarks on Poultices. 

Alum,, It possesses powerful astringent properties, and, 
when burnt and pulverized, is useful to remove proud flesh. 

Ammoniacum. Gum ammoniac um is useful for chronic 
coughs. The dose is two drachms daily, in a quart of 
gruel. 

Aniseed. A good carminative in flatulent colic. The 
dose is about one ounce, infused in a quart of boiling water. 

Anthemis, (camomile.) It is used as a tonic in derange- 
ment of the digestive organs, &c. An ounce of the flowers 
may be infused in a quart of water, and given when cool. 
It is useful also as an external application in bruises and 
sprains. 

Ash Bark, White. This is a useful remedy in loss of 



APPENDIX. MATERIA MEDIC A. 301 

cud, caused by disease of the liver. Dose, one ounce of the 
bark, infused in boiling water. When cool, pour off the 
clear liquor. 

Assaf(etida. This article is used as an antispasmodic. 
The dose is from one to two drachms, administered in thin 
gruel. 

Balm, Lemon. See Fever Drink. 

Balm of Gilead Buds. One ounce of the buds, after 
being infused in boiling water and strained, makes a good 
drink for chronic coughs. 

Balmony. A good tonic and vermifuge. 

Balsam, Canada, is a diuretic, and may be given in slip- 
pery elm, in doses of one table-spoonful for diseases of the 
kidneys. 

Balsam of Copaiba, or Capivi, is useful in all diseases of 
the urinary organs, and, combined with powdered marshmal- 
lows and water, makes a good cough drink. Dose, half an 
ounce. 

Balsam of Tolu. Used for the same purpose as the pre- 
ceding. 

Barley. Barley water, sweetened with honey, is a useful 
drink in fevers. 

Bayberry Bark. We have frequently prescribed this arti- 
cle in the preceding pages as an antiseptic and astringent for 
scouring and dysentery. 

Bearberry, (uva ursi.) This is a popular diuretic, and 
is useful when combined with marshmallows. When the 
urine is thick and deficient in quantity, or voided with diffi- 
culty, it may be given in the following form : — 

Powdered bearberry, 1 ounce. 

" marshmallows, 2 ounces. 

Indian meal, 2 pounds. 

Mix. Dose, half a pound daily, in the cow's feed. 

Bitter Root, {apocynum androscemifolium.) Given in 
doses of half an ounce of the powdered bark, it acts as an 
aperient, and is good wherever an aperient is indicated. 



302 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Blackberry Root, (rubus trivialis.) A valuable remedy 
for scours in sheep. 

Black Root, (leptandra virginica.) The extract is used 
as physic, instead of aloes. (See Physic for Cattle.) A strong 
decoction of the fresh roots will generally act as a cathartic 
on all classes of animals. 

Bloodroot, (sangui?iaria canadensis.) It is used in our 
practice as an escharotic. It acts on fungous excrescences, and 
is a good substitute for nitrate of silver in the dispersion of 
all morbid growth. One ounce of the powder, infused in 
boiling vinegar, is a valuable application for rot and mange. 

Blue Flag, {iris versicolor.) The powdered root is a 
good vermifuge. 

Boneset, (eupatorium perfoliatum.) This is a valuable 
domestic remedy. Its properties are too well known to the 
farming community to need any description. 

Borax. This is a valuable remedy for eruptive diseases 
of the tongue and mouth. Powdered and dissolved in water, 
it forms an astringent, antiseptic wash. The usual form of 
prescription, in veterinary practice, is, — 

Powdered borax, half an ounce. 

Honey, 2 ounces. 

Mix. 

Buckthorn, (rhamnus catharticus.) A sirup made from 
this plant is a valuable aperient in cattle practice. The dose 
is from half an ounce to two ounces. 

Burdock, (arctium lappa.) The leaves, steeped in vine- 
gar, make a good application for sore throat and enlarged 
glands. The seeds are good to purify the blood, and may be 
given in the fodder. 

Butternut Bark, (juglans cinerea.) Extract of butternut 
makes a good cathartic, in doses of half an ounce. It is much 
safer than any known cathartic, and, given in doses of two 
drachms, in hot water, combined with a small quantity of 
ginger, it forms a useful aperient and alterative. In a consti- 
pated habit, attended with loss of cud, it is invaluable. During 



APPENDIX. MATERIA MEDICA. 303 

the American revolution, when medicines were scarce, this 
article was brought into use by the physicians, and was es- 
teemed by them an excellent substitute for the ordinary 
cathartics. 

Calamus, (acorus calamus.) A valuable remedy for loss 
of cud. 

Camomile. See Anthemis. 

Canella Bark is an aromatic stimulant, and forms a good 
stomachic. 

Capsicum. A pure stimulant. Useful in impaired digestion. 

Caraway Seed, (carum carui.) A pleasant carminative 
for colic. 

Cardamom Seeds. Used for the same purpose as the 
preceding. 

Cassia Bark, {laurus cinnamomum.) Used as a diffusible 
stimulant in flatulency. 

Catechu, (see Acacia.) 

Catnip, (nepeta cataria.) An antispasmodic in colic. 

Cedar Buds. An infusion of the buds makes a good ver- 
mifuge for sheep and pigs. 

Charcoal. This is a valuable remedy as an antiseptic for 
foul ulcers, foot rot, &c. 

Cleavers, (galium aparine.) The expressed juice of the 
herb acts on the skin and kidneys, increasing their secretions. 
One tea-spoonful of the juice, given night and morning in a thin 
mucilage of poplar bark, is an excellent remedy for dropsy, 
and diseases of the urinary organs. An infusion of the herb, 
made by steeping one ounce of the leaves and seeds in a 
quart of boiling water, may be substituted for the expressed 
juice. 

Cohosh, Black, (macrotrys racemosa.) Useful in dropsy. 

Coltsfoot, (tussilago farfara.) An excellent remedy for 
cough. 

Cranesbill, {geranium maculatum.) Useful in scours, 
dysentery, and diarrhoea. 

Dill Seed, (anethum graveolens.) Its properties are the 
same as caraways. 



304 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Dock, Yellow, (rumex crispus.) Good for diseases of the 
liver and of the skin. 

Elecampane, [inula helenium.) An excellent remedy for 
cough and asthma, and diseases of the skin. 

Elder Flowers, (sambucus canadensis.) Used as an ape- 
rient for sheep, in constipation. 

Elm Bark, (ulmus fulva.) This makes a good mucilage. 
See Poultices. 

Essence of Peppermint. Used for flatulent colic. One 
ounce is the usual dose for a cow. To be given in warm 
water. 

Fennel Seed. Useful to expel wind. 

Fern, Male, (aspidium felix mas.) Used as a remedy 
for worms. 

Flaxseed. A good lubricant, in cold and catarrh, and in 
diseases of the mucous surfaces. It makes a good poultice. 

Flower of Sulphur. This is used extensively, in veter- 
inary practice, for diseases of the skin. It is a mild laxative. 

Fumigations. For foul barns and stables, take of 

Common salt, . . .* . 4 ounces. 
Manganese, 1 ounce and a half. 

Let these be well mixed, and placed in a shallow earthen 
vessel ; then pour on the mixture, gradually, sulphuric acid, 
four ounces. The inhalation of the gas which arises from 
this mixture is highly injurious ; therefore, as soon as the acid 
is poured on, all persons should leave the building, which 
should immediately be shut, and not opened again for several 
hours. Dr. White, V. S., says, " This is the only efficacious 
fumigation, it having been found that when glanderous or 
infectious matter is exposed to it a short time, it is rendered 
perfectly harmless." 

Galbanum. This gum is used for similar purposes as gum 
ammoniac and assafoetida. 

Galls. They contain a large amount of tannin, and are 
powerfully astringent. A strong decoction is useful to arrest 
hemorrhage. 



APPENDIX. MATERIA MEDICA. 305 

Garlic. See Allium. 

Gentian. This is a good tonic, and is often employed to 
remove weakness of the stomach and indigestion. 

Ginger. A pure stimulant. Ginger tea is a useful remedy 
for removing colic and flatulency, and is safer and better 
adapted to the animal economy, where stimulants are indi- 
cated, than alcoholic preparations. 

Ginseng, (panax quinquefolium.) It possesses tonic and 
stimulant properties. 

Golden Seal, (Hydrastis canadensis.) A good tonic, lax- 
ative, and alterative. 

Goldthread, (coptis trifolia.) A strong infusion of this 
herb makes a valuable application for eruptions and ulcera- 
tions of the mouth. We use it in the following form : — 

Goldthread, 1 ounce. 

Boiling water, 1 pint. 

Set the mixture aside to cool ; then strain, and add a table- 
spoonful of honey, and bathe the parts twice a day. 

Grains of Paradise. A warming, diffusible stimulant. 

Hardhack, (spircea tomentosa.) Its properties are astrin- 
gent and tonic. We have used it in cases of " scours " with 
great success. It is better adapted to cattle practice in the 
form of extract, which is prepared by evaporating the leaves, 
stems, or roots. The dose is from one scruple to a drachm 
for a cow, and from ten grains to one scruple and a half for a 
sheep, which may be given twice a day, in any bland liquid. 

Honey, (mel.) Honey is laxative, stimulant, and nutri- 
tious. With vinegar, squills, or garlic, it forms a good cough 
mixture. Combined with tonics, it forms a valuable gargle, 
and a detergent for old sores and foul ulcers. 

Hops, (humulus.) An infusion of hops is highly recom- 
mended in derangement of the nervous system, and for allay- 
ing spasmodic twitchings of the extremities. One ounce of 
the article may be infused in a quart of boiling water, strained, 
and sweetened with honey, and given, in half pint doses, 
every four hours. They are used as an external application, 
in the form of fomentation, for bruises, &c. 



306 



AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



Horehound, {marrubium.) This is a valuable remedy for 
catarrh and chronic affections of the lungs. It is generally 
used, in the author's practice, in the following form : An in- 
fusion is made in the proportion of an ounce of the herb to 
a quart of boiling water. A small quantity of powdered 
marshmallows is then stirred in, to make it of the consistence 
of thin gruel. The dose is half a pint, night and morning. 
For sheep and pigs half the quantity will suffice. 

Horsemint, (monarda punctata.) Like other mints, it is 
antispasmodic and carminative. Useful in flatulent colic. 

Horseradish. The root scraped and fed to animals labor- 
ing under loss of cud, from chronic disease of the digestive 
organs, and general debility, is generally attended with bene- 
ficial results. If beaten into paste with an equal quantity of 
powdered bloodroot, it makes a valuable application for foul 
ulcers. 

Hyssop, (hyssopus officinalis.) Hyssop tea, sweetened with 
honey, is useful to promote perspiration in colds and catarrh. 

Indian Hemp, (apocynum can?iabi?ium.) An infusion of 
this herb acts as an aperient, and promotes the secretions. It 
may be prepared by infusing an ounce of the powdered or 
bruised root in a quart of boiling water, which must be placed 
in a warm situation for a few hours : it should then be strained, 
and given in half pint doses, at intervals of six hours. A gill 
of this mixture will sometimes purge a sheep. 

Indigo, Wild, (baptisia tincioria.) We have made some 
experiments with the inner portion of the bark of this plant, 
and find it to be very efficacious in the cure of eruptive dis- 
eases of the mouth and tongue, lampas, and inflamed gums. 
A strong decoction (one ounce of the bark boiled for a few 
minutes in a pint of water) makes a good wash for old sores. 
A small quantity of powdered slippery elm, stirred into the 
decoction while hot, makes a good emollient application to 
sore teats and bruised udder. 

Juniper Berries, (Juniperus.) These are used in dropsi- 
cal affections, in conjunction with tonics ; also in diseases of 
the urinary organs. 

Kino. This is a powerful astringent, and may be used in 



APPENDIX. MATERIA MEDICA. 307 

diarrhoea, dysentery, and red water, after the inflammatory 
symptoms have subsided. We occasionally use it in the fol- 
lowing form for red water and chronic dysentery : — 

Powdered kino, . . 20 grains. 

Thin flour gruel, 1 quart. 

To be given at a dose, and repeated night and morning, as 
occasion requires. 

Lady's Slipper, {cypripedum pubescens.) This is a valu- 
able nervine and antispasmodic, and has been used with great 
success, in my practice, for allaying nervous irritability. It is 
a good substitute for opium. It is, however, destitute of all 
the poisonous properties of the latter. Dose for a cow, half 
a table-spoonful of the powder, night and morning ; to be 
given in bland fluid. 

Licorice. Used principally to alleviate coughs. The fol- 
lowing makes an excellent cough remedy : — 

Powdered licorice, ...... 1 ounce. 

Balsam of Tolu, 1 tea-spoonful. 

Boiling water, 1 quart. 

To be given at a dose. 

Lily Root, {nymphcza odorata.) Used principally for 
poultices. 

Lime Water. This article is used in diarrhoea, and when 
the discharge of urine is excessive. Being an antacid, it is 
very usefully employed when cattle are hoven or blown. It 
is unsafe to administer alone, as it often deranges the diges- 
tive organs : it is therefore very properly combined with ton- 
ics. The following will serve as an example : — 

Lime water, 2 ounces. 

Infusion of snakehead, (balmony,) . . 2 quarts. 

Dose, a quart, night and morning. 

Lobelia, (herb,) {lobelia inflata.) This is an excellent anti- 
spasmodic. It is used in the form of poultice for locked-jaw, 
and as a relaxant in rigidity of the muscular structure. 

Mandrake, {podophyllum peltatum.) Used as physic for 
cattle, (which see.) 



308 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Marshmallows. See Althea 

Meadow Cabbage Root, (ictodes fcetida.) This plant is 
used as an antispasmodic in asthma and chronic cough. Dose, 
a tea-spoonful of the powder, night and morning ; to be given 
in mucilage of slippery elm. 

Motherwort, (leonurus cardiaca.) A tea of this herb is 
valuable in protracted labor. 

Mullein, (verbascum.) The leaves steeped in vinegar 
make a good application for sore throat. 

Myrrh. The only use we make of this article, in cattle 
practice, is to prepare a tincture for wounds, as follows : — 

Powdered myrrh, 2 ounces. 

Proof spirit, 1 pint. 

Set it aside in a close-covered vessel for two weeks, then 
strain through a fine sieve, and it is fit for use. 

Oak Bark, (quercus alba.) A decoction of oak bark is a 
good astringent, and may be given internally, and also applied 
externally in falling of the womb or fundament. 

Ointments. We have long since discontinued the use of 
ointments, from a conviction that they do not agree with the 
flesh of cattle. Marshmallows, or tincture of myrrh, will 
heal a wound much quicker than any greasy preparation. 
We have, however, often applied fresh marshmallow oint- 
ment to chapped teats, and chafed udder, with decided advan- 
tage. It is made as follows : Take of white wax, mutton 
tallow, and linseed oil, each a pound ; marshmallow leaves, 
two ounces. First melt the wax and tallow, then add the 
oil, lastly a handful of mallows. Simmer over a slow fire 
until the leaves are crisp, then strain through a piece of flan- 
nel, and stir the mixture until cool. 

Oleum Lini, (flaxseed oil.) This is a useful aperient and 
laxative in cattle practice, and may be given in all cases of 
constipation, provided, however, it is not accompanied with 
chronic indigestion : if such be the case, a diffusible stimu- 
lant, combined with a bitter tonic, (golden seal,) aided by an 
injection, will probably do more good, as they will arouse the 



APPENDIX. MATERIA MEDICA. 309 

digestive function. The above aperient may then be ven- 
tured on with safety. The dose for a cow is one pint. 

Olive Oil. This is a useful aperient for sheep. The dose 
is from half a gill to a gill. 

Opodeldoc. The different preparations of this article are 
used for strains and bruises, after the inflammatory action has 
somewhat subsided. 

Liquid Opodeldoc. 

Soft soap, 6 ounces. 

New England rum, 1 pint and a half. 

Vinegar, half a pint. 

Oil of lavender, 2 ounces. 

The oil of lavender should first be dissolved in an equal 
quantity of alcohol, and then added to the mixture. 

Pennyroyal, (hedeoma.) This plant, administered in 
warm infusion, promotes perspiration, and is good in flatu- 
lent colic. 

Peppermint, (mentha piperita.} An ounce of the herb 
infused in a quart of boiling water relieves spasmodic pains 
of the stomach and bowels, and is a good carminative, (to 
expel wind,) provided the alimentary canal is free from 
obstruction. 

Plantain Leaves, (plantago major.) This article is held 
in high repute for the cure of hydrophobia and bites from 
poisonous reptiles. The bruised leaves are applied to the 
parts ; the powdered herb and roots to be given internally at 
discretion. 

Pleurisy Root, (asclepias tuberosa.) We have given this 
article a fair trial in cattle practice, and find it to be invalua- 
ble in the treatment of catarrh, bronchitis, pleurisy, pneumo- 
nia, and consumption. The form in which we generally 
prescribe it is, — 

Powdered pleurisy root, . . half a table-spoonful. 
" marshmallow roots, 1 ounce. 

Boiling water sufficient to make a thin mucilage. The 



310 



AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



addition of a small quantity of honey increases its diaphoretic 
properties. 

Pomegranate, (punica granatum.) The rind of this article 
is a powerful astringent, and is occasionally used to expel 
worms. A strong decoction makes a useful wash for falling 
of the womb, or fundament. Given as an infusion, in the 
proportion of half an ounce of the rind to a quart of water, 
it will arrest diarrhoea. 

Poplar, {populus tremuloides.) It possesses tonic, demul- 
cent, and alterative properties. It is often employed, in our 
practice, as a local application, in the form of poultice. The 
infusion is a valuable remedy in general debility, and in cases 
of diseased urinary organs. 

Prince's Pine, (chimaphila.) This plant is a valuable 
remedy in dropsy. It possesses diuretic and tonic properties. 
It does not produce the same prostration that usually attends 
the administration of diuretics, for its tonic property invigor- 
ates the kidneys, while, at the same time, it increases the 
secretion of urine. The best way of administering it is by 
decoction. It is made by boiling four ounces of the fresh- 
bruised leaves in two quarts of water. After straining, a 
table-spoonful of powdered marshmallows may be added, to 
be given in pint doses, night and morning. 

Pyroligneous Acid. See Acid. 

Raspberry Leaves, (riibus strigosus.) An infusion of this 
plant may be employed with great advantage in cases of 
diarrhoea. 

Roman Wormwood, [ambrosia artemisifolia.) This plant 
is a very bitter tonic, and vermifuge. An infusion may be 
advantageously given in cases of general debility and loss of 
cud. A strong decoction may be given to sheep and pigs 
that are infested with worms. If given early in the morning? 
and before the animals are fed, it will generally have the de- 
sired effect. 

Rose, Red, (rosa gallica.) We have occasionally used the 
infusion, and find it of great value as a wash for chronic 
ophthalmia. The infusion is made by pouring a pint of boil- 



APPENDIX. MATERIA MEDIC A. 311 

ing water on a quarter of an ounce of the flowers. It is then 
strained through fine linen, when it is fit for use. 

Sassafras, (laurus sassafras.) The bark of sassafras root 
is stimulant, and possesses alterative properties. We have 
used it extensively, in connection with sulphur, for eruptive dis- 
eases, and for measles in swine, in the following proportions : — 

Powdered sassafras, .... 1 ounce. 

" sulphur, .... half a table-spoonful. 

Mix, and divide into four parts, one of which may be given, 
night and morning, in a hot mash. 

The pith of sassafras makes a valuable soothing and muci- 
laginous wash for inflamed eyes. 

Senna. A safe and efficient aperient for cattle may be 
made by infusing an ounce of senna in a quart of boiling 
water. When cool, strain, then add, manna one ounce, pow- 
dered golden seal one tea-spoonful. The whole to be given 
at a dose. 

Skullcap, [Scutellaria lateriflora.) This is an excellent 
nervine and antispasmodic. It is admirably adapted to the 
treatment of locked-jaw, and derangement of the nervous 
system. An ounce of the leaves may be infused in two quarts 
of boiling water. After straining, a little honey may be added, 
and then administered, in pint doses, every four hours. 

Snakeroot, Virginia, (aristolochia serpentaria.) This ar- 
ticle, given by infusion in the proportion of half an ounce of 
the root to a pint of water, acts as a stimulant and alterative. 
It is admirably adapted to the treatment of chronic indigestion. 

Soap. This article acts on all classes of animals, as a lax- 
ative and antacid. It is useful in obstinate constipation of 
the bowels, in diseases of the liver, and for softening hard- 
ened excrement in the rectum. By combining castile soap 
with butternut, blackroot, golden seal, or balmony, a good 
aperient is produced, which will generally operate on the bow- 
els in a few hours. 

Squill, (scilla maritima.) A tea-spoonful of the dried 
root, given in a thin mucilage of marshmallows, is an excel- 



312 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

lent remedy for cough, depending on an irritability of the 
lungs and mucous surfaces. 

Sulphur. This is one of the most valuable articles in the 
veterinary materia rnedica. It possesses laxative, diaphoretic, 
and alterative properties, and is extensively employed, botn 
internally and externally, for diseases of the skin. The dose 
for a cow is a tea-spoonful daily. Its alterative effect may be 
increased by combining it with sassafras, (which see.) 

Sunflower, Wild, (helianthus divaricatus.) The seeds of 
this plant, when bruised and given in any bland fluid, act as 
a duretic and antispasmodic. Half a table-spoonful of the 
seeds may be given at a dose, and repeated as occasion requires. 

Tolu, Balsam of. This balsam is procured by making in- 
cisions into the trunk of a tree which nourishes in Tolu and 
Peru. It has a peculiar tendency to the mucous surfaces, and 
therefore is very properly prescribed for epizootic diseases of 
a catarrhal nature. The dose is half a table-spoonful every 
night, to be administered in a mucilage of marshmallows. 
One half the quantity is sufficient for a sheep. 

Vinegar. See Acetum. 

Witch Hazel Bark, (hamamelis virginica.) A decoction 
of this bark is a valuable application for falling of the funda- 
ment, or womb. Being a good astringent, an infusion of the 
leaves is good for scouring in sheep. 

Wormseed, (chenopodium anthelminticum.) A tea-spoon- 
ful of the powdered seeds, given in a tea of snakeroot, is a 
good vermifuge : it will, however, require repeated doses, and 
they should be given at least an hour before the morning meal. 



GENERAL REMARKS ON MEDICINES. 

Here, reader, is our materia medica ; wherein you will 
find a number of harmless, yet efficient agents, that will, in 
the treatment of disease, fulfil any and every indication to 



APPENDIX. GENERAL REMARKS ON MEDICINES. 313 

your entire satisfaction. They act efficiently in the restora- 
tion of the diseased system to a healthy state, without pro- 
ducing the slightest injury to the animal economy. The 
Almighty has furnished us. if we did but know it, a healing 
balm for every malady to which man and the lower animals 
are subject. Yet how many of these precious gifts are dis- 
regarded for the more popular ones of the chemist ! Dr. 
Brown, professor of botany in the Ohio College, says. " Of the 
twenty or more thousand species of plants recognized, and 
described by botanists, probably not more than one thousand 
have ever been used in the art of healing ; and not more than 
one fourth of that number even have a place in our materia 
medica at present. The glorious results, however, attending 
the researches of those who have preceded us, should inspire 
us with that confidence and spirit of investigation which will 
ultimately result in the selection, preparation, and systematic 
arrangement, of a full, convenient, and efficient materia med- 
ica" Unfortunately, the medical fraternity, as well as the 
farmers, have been accustomed to judge of the power of the 
remedy by its effects, and not in proportion to its ultimate 
good. Thus, if a pound of salts be given to a cow, and they 
produce liquid stools, — in short, "operate well," — they are 
styled a good medicine, although they leave the mucous sur- 
face of the alimentary canal in a weak, debilitated state, and 
otherwise impair the health j yet this is a secondary consid- 
eration. For, if the symptoms of the present malady, for 
which the salts were given, shall disappear, nothing is thought 
of the after consequences. The cow may be constipated for 
several succeeding days, and finally refuse her food ; but who 
suspects that the salts were the cause of it ? Who believes 
that the abstraction of ninety ounces of blood cut short the 
life of our beloved Washington ? We do, and so do others. 
We are told, in reference to the treatment of a given case, 
that "the patient will grow worse before he can get better." 
What makes him worse ? The medicine, surely, and nothing 
else. Now, if ever symptoms are altered, they should be for 
the better ; and if the medicines recommended in this work 
40 



314 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

(provided, however, they are given with ordinary prudence) 
ever make an animal worse, then we beg of the reader to avoid 
them as he would a pest-house. This is not all. If any 
article in this materia medica, when given, in the manner we 
recommend, to an animal in perfect health, shall operate so 
as to derange such animal's health, — in short, act pathologi- 
cally, — then it does not deserve a place here, and should not 
be depended on. But such will not be the result. We rec- 
ominend farmers to select and preserve a few of these herbs 
for family use j for they are efficient in the cure of many dis- 
eases. And as the services of a physician are not always to 
be had in small country towns, a little experience in the use 
and application of simple articles to various diseases seems 
to be absolutely necessary. It was by the aid of a few of 
these and similar simple remedies, that we were enabled 
to preserve the health of the passengers of that ill-fated ship, 
the Anglo-Saxon. The following testimony has never, until 
the present time, been made public, and we would not now 
make use of it, were it not that we wish to show that there 
are men, and women too, that can appreciate our labors : — 

" The undersigned, passengers in the Anglo-Saxon from Boston, feeling it 
a duty they owe to Dr. G. H. Dadd, surgeon of the ship, would here bear 
testimony to the valuable medical services and advice rendered by him to 
us, whilst on shipboard ; believing his attendance has been conducive of 
the greatest benefit; at times almost indispensable, not only during the 
short passage, but also through the trying period subsequent to the wreck, 
through all of which, the coolness and devotion to the best interests of his 
employers and of the passengers, exhibited by him, deserve at our hands the 
highest terms of commendation. 

Robert Earle, A. M. Earle, 

S. C. Ames, Rosalie Pelby, 

Benjamin Champney, Ophelia Anderson, 

Lewis Jones, Helen C. Dove, 

Hamilton G. Wild, Eleanor Teresa McHugh, 

W. A. Barnes, John Hills, 

Gideon D. Scull. Frances Blenkam, 

W. Allan Gay, Harriet Phillips, 

Isaac Jenkins, Louisa A. Bigelow 
Prescott Bigelow, 

Eastport, May 9, 1847." 



APPENDIX. PROPERTIES OF PLANTS. 315 

Notwithstanding this disaster, Enoch Train, Esq., of Boston, 
with a liberality which does him credit, appointed us surgeon 
of the ship Mary Ann, commanded by Captain Albert Brown ; 
thus giving us a second opportunity of proving what we had 
asserted, viz., that the emigrants might he brought to the 
United States in better condition, and with less deaths, than 
had heretofore been done. It must be remembered that about 
this time the typhus, or ship fever, was making sad havoc 
amongst all classes of men, and many talented professional 
men fell victims to the dire malady. We left Liverpool at a 
sickly season, having on board two hundred persons, and were 
fortunate enough to land them in this city, all in good health. 
Several ships which sailed at the same time, bound also to 
different ports in the United States, lost, on the passage, from 
ten to twenty persons, although each ship was furnished with 
a medical attendant. Here, then, is a proof that our agents 
cure while others fail. 



PKOPERTIES OF PLANTS. 

Professor Curtis tells us that " herbs, during their growth, 
preserve their medicinal properties, commencing at the root, 
and continuing upward, through the stem and leaves, to the 
flowers and seeds, until fully grown. When the root begins 
to die, the properties ascend from it towards the seed, where, 
at last, they are the strongest. Even the virtues of the leaves, 
after they get their full growth, often go into the seed, which 
will not be so well developed if the leaves are plucked off 
early ; as corn fills and ripens best when the leaves are left on 
the stalks till they die. In the annual and biennial plants, 
the root is worthless after the seed is ripe, and the stem also 
is of very little value ; what virtue there is residing in the 
bark and leaves also lose their properties as fast as they lose 
their freshness. All leaves and stems that have lost their 



316 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

color, or become shrivelled, while the roots are in the earth, 
have lost much of their medicinal power, and should be re- 
jected from medicine." Seeds and fruit should be gathered 
when ripe or fully matured. 

Flowers should be gathered just at the time they come into 
bloom. 

Leaves should be gathered when they have arrived at their 
full growth, are green, and full of the juices of the plant. Barks 
should be gathered as early in the spring as they will peal. 

Roots should be gathered in the fall, after they have per- 
fectly matured, or early in the spring, before they commence 
germinating and growing. 



POTATO 



Boiled potatoes, mixed up with steamed cornstalks, shorts, 
&c, make an excellent compound for fattening cattle; yet, 
at the present time, they are too expensive for general use. 
We hope, however, that ere long our farmers will take hold 
of this subject in good earnest, — we allude to the causes of 
potato rot, — and restore this valuable article of food to its 
original worth. A few remarks on this subject seem to be 
called for. 

Remarks on the Potato Rot. 

Where are the fine, mealy, substantial " apples of the earth " 
gone ? — and Echo answers, " Where ? " They are not to be 
found at the present day. The farmers have suffered great 
losses, in some instances by a partial, and in others by a total, 
failure of their crops. Numberless experiments have been 
tried to prevent this great national calamity, yet they have all 
proved abortive, for the simple reason that we have been only 
treating the symptoms, while the disease has taken a firmer 
hold, and hurried our subjects to a premature decay. 



APPENDIX. POTATO. 317 

Different theories have been suggested with a view of ex- 
plaining the causes of the potato rot, none of which are satis- 
factory. We have the " fungous theory," " insect theory," 
" moisture theory," " theory of degeneration" and " the chem- 
ical theory of defective elements." In relation to the " fun- 
gous theory " we observe that fungi inhabit decaying organic 
bodies. They are considered to be a common pest to all 
kinds of plants, like parasites, living at the expense of those 
plants. We do not expect to find fungi in good healthy vege- 
tables, at least while they possess a high grade of vital action. 
It is only when morbid deposits and chemical agencies over- 
come the integrity or vital affinity of the vegetable that fun- 
gous growth commences. 

In the fungous development, the living parts of the vegeta- 
ble are not always destroyed ; yet these fungi obstruct vital 
action by their deposits or accumulations ; hence the small 
vessels that lead from centre to surface are partly paralyzed, 
and the power peculiar to all vegetables of throwing off useless 
or excrementitious matter is intercepted. This is not all. 
The process of imperceptible elimination, which might re- 
store the balance of power in any thing like a vigorous plant, 
is thus impaired. 

Now, it is evident that the fungi are not the cause of the 
potato rot ; they are only the mere effects, the symptoms : 
preceding these were other manifestations of disorder, and 
these manifestations, in their different grades, might with 
equal propriety be charged as causes of the potato rot. The 
deterioration of the potato has been going on in a gradual 
manner for a long time. A mild form of disease has existed 
for a number of years, making such imperceptible change that 
it has escaped the observation of many until late years, when 
the article became so unpalatable that our attention has been 
called to it in good earnest ; and by the aid of the microscope 
we have discovered the fungi. Has this discovery benefited 
the agriculturist ? Not a particle. 

The theory of degeneration, without doubt, will assist us 
to explain the why and wherefore of the potato rot. But 



318 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

this is not all ; the community want to know the cause of this 
degeneracy. We have spent some time in the investigation 
of this subject, and now give the public, in a condensed 
form, our opinion of this matter. We may err, but our prog- 
ress is towards the full discovery of the direct cause, and the 
ways and means best adapted to prevent this sad calamity. 
The potato came into existence at a certain period in the 
history of the world. After its discovery, it was taken from 
the mother soil, the land of its nativity, planted in different 
parts of the world, and grew to apparent perfection. Our 
opinion is, that the transplanting was one of the causes of 
this degeneracy. It is generally known that indigenous plants 
do not thrive so well on foreign soil as in their native ; for 
example, the plants of the sunny south cannot be made to 
flourish here in the same degree of perfection as at the south j 
they require the genial warmth of the sun's rays, which our 
northern climates lack. The soil, too, must be adapted to 
each particular plant. It is true we do cultivate them by in- 
genuity and chemical agency; yet they seldom equal the 
original. Need we ask the farmer if he can, from the soil of 
New England, produce a St. Michael orange equal to one 
grown on its native soil ? or if a squash will grow in the deserts 
of Arabia ? All vegetables, as well as animals, possess a cer- 
tain amount of vital power, which enables them to resist, to 
a certain degree, all encroachments on their healthy opera- 
tions. The potato, having been deprived, in some measure, 
of its essential element, lost its reciprocal equilibrium, and 
has ever since been a prey to whatever destructive agents may 
be present, whether they exist in the soil or atmosphere. Yet 
we conceive that its total destruction is dependent on another 
cause, which has been entirely overlooked ; for, in spite of 
the gradual deterioration alluded to, the potato will, for a 
number of years, continue to keep up a low form of vitality, 
and result in something like a potato. In order to compre- 
hend the subject, let us, for a moment, consider the conditions 
necessary for the germination and perfection of vegetable 
bodies. We shall then be able to decide as to whether or not 



APPENDIX. POTATO. 319 

we have complied with such conditions. The first condition 
is, we must have a perfect germ ; secondly, a ripe seed ; and 
lastly, nutrimental agents in the soil, composed of carbon, 
hydrogen, and oxygen. 

The potato requires but a small quantity of moisture to 
develop the germinating principle ; for we have every day 
evidences of its ability to send forth its fibres, even in the 
open air. Now, the premature development of these fibrous 
radicles, or roots, debilitates the tuber ; in short, we have a 
sick potato. Is the potato, under such circumstances, a per- 
fect germ ? No. If you examine the potato, with its roots 
and stem, you will find the cutis, or skin, and mucous mem- 
brane. This external skin, including that of plant, stalk, 
leaf and ball, is to the potato what the skin and lungs are 
to animals ; they, each of them, absorb atmospheric food, 
and throw off excrementitious matter ; the roots and fibres 
are to the vegetable what the alimentary canal is to the ani- 
mal. A large portion of the food of vegetables is found in 
the soil, and enters the vegetable system, through its capillary 
circulation, by the process of imperceptible elimination and 
absorption. Now, you must bear in mind that the fibres, 
stem, and leaves are delicate and tender organs ; they are 
studded with millions of little pores, covered with a membrane 
of delicate texture, easily lacerated. When these delicate 
organs are rudely torn off or lacerated, the potato immediately 
gives evidence of the encroachments of disease ; it shrinks, 
withers, and, although the soil abounds in all that is necessary 
for its growth and future development, it is not in a fit state 
to carry on the chemico-vital process. We often take the 
potato from the soil with a view of preserving it for seed, 
without any definite knowledge of the exact time of its ma- 
turity j as the season arrives for again replanting, the fibres 
are torn off, and the potato itself is often cut up into two or 
three pieces ; sometimes, however, the smaller potatoes are 
used for seed. Both practices are open to strong objection. 
Oftentimes the cut surfaces of the potato are exposed to 



320 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

atmospheric air ; evaporation commences, they lose their firm 
texture, and are more fit for swine than for planting. 

The cause of the total destruction may exist in a loss of 
polarity ! We know that all organic and inorganic bodies are 
subject to the laws of electricity — each has its polarity. Men 
who are engaged in mining can testify that the stratification 
of the earth is alternately negative and positive. The hemi- 
spheres of the earth are also governed by the same law ; for, 
if you take a magnetic needle and toss it up in this hemisphere, 
which is negative, the positive end will come to the ground 
first ; but if you pass the magnetic equator, which crosses the 
common equator in 23° 28', and then toss the needle up, its 
negative end will fall downwards. Hence we infer that the 
potato has a polarity, just as man has ; and this is the reason 
of their definite character. Take a bean, and destroy its polar- 
ity by cutting it into several pieces, as you do the potato, and 
all the men on earth cannot make it germinate and grow to 
perfection. It will die just as a man will, if you destroy the 
polarity of his brain by wounding it. 

Take an egg, and destroy its polarity by making a small 
puncture through it, and you can never get a chicken from it. 
A man or an animal will die of locked-jaw, caused by a 
splinter entering the living organism ; and why ? Because their 
electrical equilibrium, or their polarity, is destroyed. Some 
of our readers may desire to know how we can prove that 
electricity plays a part in the germination and growth of ani- 
mals and vegetables. In verification of it, we will give a few 
examples. A dish of salad may, by the aid of electricity, be 
raised in an hour. Hens' eggs can be hatched by a similar 
process in a few hours, which would require many days by 
animal heat. By the aid of electricity, water, which consists 
of oxygen and hydrogen, may be decomposed, and its ele- 
ments set free. The poles of a galvanic battery may be 
applied to a dead body, and that body made to imitate the 
functions of life. 

And lastly, it is through the medium of electrical attrac- 



APPENDIX. POTATO. 321 

tion which bodies have for each other, that all the chemical 
compositions and decompositions depend. Bodies must be in 
opposite states of electricity in order to produce a result. 
Now, if the polarity of the potato is destroyed in the manner 
we have just alluded to, or should it be destroyed by coming 
in contact with the blade of a knife, the latter conducting 
off the electrical current, or by any other means, it must de- 
teriorate. We are told that " the potato has several germinat- 
ing points, and that a part will grow just as well as the 
whole." Such reasoning will not stand the test of common 
experience. 

For example : the Almighty has endowed man with vari- 
ous faculties, and the perfection of his organism depends on 
these faculties, as a whole. Now, he may lose a leg, and yet 
be capable of performing the ordinary duties of life ; but this 
does not prove that he might not perform them much better 
with both legs. So in reference to the potato. The fact of 
its ability to reproduce its kind from a small portion of the 
whole — a mere bud — should not satisfy us that a perfect 
germ is unnecessary. Then the question arises, How shall 
we restore the original identity of this valuable article 
of food ? 

We have, in the early part of this work, recommended the 
farmers to study the laws of vegetable physiology. This 
will furnish them with the right kind of information. We 
would, however, suggest to those who are desirous of making 
experiments, to comply with the conditions already alluded 
to, viz., plant a perfect germ, by which means the potato may 
be improved. Yet, in order to restore its identity, we must 
commence by germinating from the seed, and plant that on 
soil abounding in the constituents necessary for its develop- 
ment. Elevated land abounding in small stones, and hill 
sides facing the south, are the best situations. Potatoes 
should never be cultivated on the same spot for two succes- 
sive years. 

In relation to the insect theory, we would observe, that it 
throws no light on the cause of the potato rot ; for, in its 
41 



322 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

gradual decay, that vegetable undergoes various changes; 
the particles of which it is composed assume new forms, and 
enter into new combinations ; its elementary substances are 
separated, giving birth to new compounds, some of which 
result in an insect. We all know that animal and vegetable 
bodies may remain in a state of putrefaction in water, and 
be dissolved in the dust ; yet some of their original atoms 
appear in a new system. Hence the insect theory has no 
more to do with the cause of the notato rot than the fungus. 



TREATMENT OF DISEASE IN DOGS. 



PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 

A good watch dog is of inestimable value to the farmer ; 
and as very little is at present understood of the nature and 
treatment of their maladies, we have thought that a few gen- 
eral directions would be acceptable, not only to the farmer, 
but to every man who loves a dog. We have paid considera- 
ble attention to the treatment of disease in this class of ani- 
mals, and have generally found that most of their maladies 
will yield very readily to our sanative agents. Most of the 
remedies recommended by allopathic writers for dogs, like 
those recommended for horses and cattle, would at any time 
destroy the animal ; consequently, if it ever recovers, it does 
so in spite of the violence done to the constitution. We 
hope to rescue the dog, as well as other classes of domestic 
animals, from a cruel system of medication j for this we labor, 
and to this work our life is devoted. We ask the reader to 
take into consideration the destructive nature of the articles 
used on these faithful animals. Some of them are the most 
destructive poisons that can be found in the whole world. 
For example, several authors recommend, in the treatment of 
disease in the canine race, the following : — 

Tartar emetic, a very few grains of which will kill a man 
— yet recommended for dogs. 

Calomel^ a very fashionable remedy, used for producing 
ulcerated gums and for rotting the teeth of thousands of the 



324 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

human family, as the dentists can testify. Not fit for a dog, 
yet prescribed by most dog fanciers. 

Lunar caustic, recommended by Mr. Lawson for fits ; to 
be given internally with cobwebs ! ! Our opinion is, that it 
would be likely to give any four-footed creature "fits " that 
took it. 

Cowhage, corrosive sublimate, tin-filings, sugar of lead, 
white precipitate, oil of turpentine, opium, nitre — these, 
together with aloes, jalap, tobacco, hellebore, and a very small 
proportion of sanative agents, make up the list. In view of 
the great destruction that is likely to attend the administra 
tion of these and kindred articles, we have substituted others, 
which may be given with safety. Why should the poor dog 
be compelled to swallow down such powerful and destructive 
agents ? He is entitled to better treatment, and we flatter 
ourselves that wherever these pages shall be read, he will 
receive it. In reference to the value of dogs, Mr. Lawson says, 
" Independent of his beauty, vivacity, strength, and swiftness, 
he has the interior qualities that must attract the attention and 
esteem of mankind. Intelligent, humble, and sincere, the 
sole happiness of his life seems to be to execute his master's 
commands. Obedient to his owner, and kind to all his 
friends, to the rest he is indifferent. He knows a stranger 
by his clothes, his voice, or his gestures, and generally for- 
bids his approach with marks of indignation. At night, when 
the guard of the house is committed to his care, he seems 
proud of the charge ; he continues a watchful sentinel, goes 
his rounds, scents strangers at a distance, and by barking 
gives them notice that he is on duty ; if they attempt to 
break in, he becomes fiercer, threatens, flies at them, and 
either conquers alone, or alarms those who have more interest 
in coming to his assistance. The flock and herd are even 
more obedient to the dog than to the shepherd : he conducts 
them, guards them, and keeps them from capriciously seeking 
danger; and their enemies he considers as his own." 



APPENDIX. DISEASES OF DOGS. 325 



DISTEMPER. 

Symptoms. — If the animal is a watch dog, (such are usu- 
ally confined in the daytime,) the person who is in the daily 
habit of feeding him will first observe a loss of appetite ; the 
animal will appear dull and lazy ; shortly after, there is a 
watery discharge from the eyes and nose, resembling that 
which accompanies catarrh. As the disease advances, general 
debility supervenes, accompanied with a weakness of the 
hind extremities. The secretions are morbid ; for example, 
some are constipated, and pass high-colored urine ; others are 
suddenly attacked with diarrhoea, scanty urine, and vomiting. 
Fits are not uncommon during the progress of the disease. 

Treatment. — If the animal is supposed to have eaten any 
improper food, we commence the treatment by giving an 
emetic. 

Emetic for Dogs. 

Powdered lobelia, (herb,) .... 1 tea-spoonful. 
Warm water, 1 wine-glass. 

Mix, and administer at a dose. 

(A table-spoonful of common salt and water will generally 
vomit a dog.) 

If this dose does not provoke emesis, it should not be re- 
peated, for it may act as a relaxant, and carry the morbid 
accumulations off by the alimentary canal. If the bowels 
are constipated, use injections of soap-suds. If the symptoms 
are complicated, the following medicine must be prepared : — 

Powdered mandrake, .... 1 table-spoonful. 

" sulphur, 1 tea-spoonful. 

" charcoal, 2 tea-spoonfuls. 

" marshmallows, ... 1 table-spoonful. 

Mix. Divide the mass into six parts, and administer one 
in honey, night and morning, for the first day ; after which, 



326 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

a single powder, daily, will suffice. The diet to consist of 
mush, together with a drink of thin arrowroot. If, how- 
ever, the animal be in a state of plethora, very little food 
should be given him. 

If the strength fails, support it with beef tea. Should a 
diarrhoea attend the malady, give an occasional drink of hard- 
hack tea. 



FITS. 

Dogs are subject to epileptic fits, which are often attended 
with convulsions. They attack dogs of all ages, and under 
every variety of management. Dogs that are apparently 
healthy are often suddenly attacked. The nervous system 
of the dog is very susceptible to external agents ; hence 
whatever raises any strong passion in them often produces 
fits. Pointers and setters have often been known to suffer an 
attack during the excitement of the chase. Fear will also 
produce fits ; and bitches, while suckling, if burdened with a 
number of pups, and not having a sufficiency of nutriment 
to support the lacteal secretion, often die in convulsive fits. 
Young puppies, while teething, are subject to fits : simply 
scarifying their gums will generally give temporary relief. 
Lastly, fits may be hereditary, or they may be caused by de- 
rangement of the stomach. In all cases of fits, it is very 
necessary, in order to treat them with success, that we en- 
deavor, as far as possible, to ascertain the causes, and remove 
them as far as lies in our power : this accomplished, the cure 
is much easier. 

Treatment. — Whenever the attack is sudden and violent, 
and the animal is in good flesh, plunge him into a tub of 
warm water, and give an injection of the same, to which a 
tea-spoonful of salt may be added. It is very difficult, in 
fact improper, to give medicine during the fit ; but as soon as 
it is over, give 



APPENDIX. DISEASES OF DOGS. 327 

Manna, 1 tea-spoonful. 

Common salt, half a tea-spoonful. 

Add a small quantity of water, and give it at a dose. 

Another. 

Make an infusion of mullein leaves, and give to the amount 
of a wine-glass every four hours. With a view of preventing 
a recurrence of fits, keep the animal on a vegetable diet. If 
the bowels are constipated, give thirty grains of extract of 
butternut, or, if that cannot be readily procured, substitute an 
infusion of senna and manna, to which a few caraways may 
be added. 

If the nervous system is deranged, which may be known 
by the irritability attending it, then give a tea-spoonful of the 
powdered nervine, (lady's slipper.) The diet must consist of 
boiled articles, and the animal must be allowed to take 
exercise. 



WORMS 



Worms may proceed from various causes ; but they are sel- 
dom found in healthy dogs. One of the principal causes is 
debility in the digestive organs. 

Indications of Cure. — To tone up the stomach and other 
organs, — by which means the food is prevented from run- 
ning into fermentation, — and administer vermifuges. The 
following are good examples : — 

Oil of wormseed, 1 tea-spoonful. 

Powdered assafcetida, 30 grains. 

To be given every morning, fasting. Two doses will gen- 
erally suffice. 



328 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Another. 

Powdered mandrake, . . . half a table-spoonful. 
" Virginia snakeroot, 1 tea-spoonful. 

Divide into four doses, and give one every night, in honey. 

Another. 

Make an infusion of the sweet fern, (comptonea asplenifo- 
lia,) and give an occasional drink, followed by an injection 
of the same. 

Another. 
Powdered golden seal, . . . half a table-spoonful. 
Common brown soap, ... 1 ounce. 

Rub them well together in a mortar, and form the mass 
into pills about the size of a hazel-nut, and give one every 
night. 



MANGE. 



This disease is too well known to need any description. 
The following are deemed the best cures : — 

External Application for Mange. 

Powdered charcoal, .... half a table-spoonful. 

" sulphur, .... 1 ounce. 

Soft soap sufficient to form an ointment. 

To be applied externally for three successive days; at the 
end of which time, the animal is to be washed with castile 
soap and warm water, and afterwards wiped dry. 

The internal remedies consist of equal parts of sulphur 
and cream of tartar, half a tea-spoonful of which may be 
given daily, in honey. 



APPENDIX. DISEASES OF DOGS. 329 

When the disease becomes obstinate, and large, scabby- 
eruptions appear on various parts of the body, take 

Pyroligneous acid, 2 ounces. 

Water, . 1 pint. 

Wash the parts daily, and keep the animal on a light diet. 



INTERNAL ABSCESS OF THE EAR. 

In this complaint, the affected side is generally turned 
downwards, and the dog is continually shaking his head. 

Treatment. — In the early stages, foment the part twice a 
day with an infusion of marshmallows. As soon as the ab- 
scess breaks, wash with an infusion of raspberry leaves, and 
if a watery discharge continues, wash with an infusion of 
white oak bark. 



ULCERATION OF THE EAR. 

External ulcerations should be washed twice a day with 

Pyroligneous acid, ....... 2 ounces. 

Water, " 8 ounces. 

Mix. 

As soon as the ulcerations assume a healthy appearance, 
touch them with Turlington's balsam or tincture of gum 
catechu. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS. 

Whenever inflammation of the bowels makes its appear- 
ance, it is a sure sign that there is a loss of equilibrium in 
the circulation ; and this disturbance may arise from a col- 

42 



330 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

lapse of the external surface, or from irritation produced by- 
hardened excrement on the mucous membrane of the intes- 
tines. An attack is recognized by acute pain in the abdom- 
inal region. The dog gives signs of suffering when moved, 
and the bowels are generally constipated. 

Treatment. — Endeavor to equalize the circulation by put- 
ting the animal into a warm bath, where he should remain 
about five minutes. When taken out, the surface must be 
rubbed dry. Then give the following injection : — 

Linseed oil, 4 ounces. 

Warm water, 1 gill. 

Mix. 

To allay the irritation of the bowels, give the following : — 

Powdered pleurisy root, ... 1 tea-spoonful. 
" marshmallow root, . . 1 table-spoonful. 

Mix, and divide into three parts : one to be given every 
four hours. 

Should vomiting be a predominant symptom, a small quan- 
tity of saleratus, dissolved in spearmint tea, may be given. 

Should not this treatment give relief, make a fomentation 
of hops, and apply it to the belly ; and give half an ounce 
of manna. The only articles of food and drink should con- 
sist of barley gruel and mush. If, however, the dog betrays 
great heat, thirst, panting, and restlessness, a small quantity 
of cream of tartar may be added to the barley gruel. The 
bath and clysters may be repeated, if necessary. 



INFLAMMATION OF TFxE BLADDER. 
This requires the same treatment as the preceding malady. 



APPENDIX. DISEASES OF DOGS. 331 



ASTHMA. 

Dogs that are shut up in damp cellars, and deprived of 
pure air and exercise, are frequently attacked with asthma. 
Old dogs are more liable to asthma than young ones. 

Treatment. — Endeavor to ascertain the cause, and remove 
it. Let the animal take exercise in the open air. The diet 
to consist of cooked vegetables ; a small quantity of boiled 
meat may be allowed ; raw meat should not be given. 

Compound for Asthma. 

Powdered bloodroot, . . . 
" lobelia, .... 

" marshmallows, 

" licorice, 



of each, 1 tea-spoonful. 



Mix. Divide into twelve parts, and give one night and 
morning. If they produce retching, reduce the quantity of 
lobelia. The object is not to vomit, but to induce a state of 
nausea or relaxation. 



PILES. 

Piles are generally brought on by confinement, over-feed- 
ing, &c, and show themselves by a red, sore, and protruded 
rectum. Dogs subject to constipation are most likely to be 
attacked. 

Treatment. — Give the animal half a tea-spoonful of sul- 
phur for two or three mornings, and wash the parts with an 
infusion of white oak bark. If they are very painful, wash 
two or three times a day with an infusion of hops, and keep 
the animal on a light diet. 



332 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



DROPSY. 

Dropsy is generally preceded by loss of appetite, cough, 
diminution of natural discharge of urine, and costiveness. 
The abdomen shortly afterwards begins to enlarge. 

Treatment. — It is sometimes necessary to evacuate the 
fluid by puncturing the abdomen ; but this will seldom avail 
much unless the general health is improved, and the sup- 
pressed secretions restored. The following is the best rem- 
edy we know of : — 

Powdered flagroot, . . . . ^ of each a quarter of 

" male fern, . , . > an ounce. 

Scraped horseradish, a tea-spoonful. 

Mix. Divide into eight parts, and give one night and 
morning. Good nutritious diet must be allowed. 



SORE THROAT 



A strong decoction of mullein leaves applied to a sore 
throat will seldom fail in curing it. 



SORE EARS 



A dog's ears may become sore and scabby from being torn, 
or otherwise injured. In such cases, they should be anointed 
with marshmallow ointment. 



APPENDIX. DISEASES OF DOGS. 333 



SORE FEET. 

If the feet become sore from any disease between the 
claws, apply a poultice composed of equal parts of marshmal- 
lows and charcoal ; after which the following wash will com- 
plete the cure : — 

Pyroligneous acid, . 1 ounce. 

Water, 6 ounces. 



Mix, and wash with a sponge twice a day. 



WOUNDS. 



Turlington's Balsam is the best application for wounds. 
Should a dog be bitten by one that is mad, give him a tea- 
spoonful of lobelia in warm water, and bind some of the 
same article on the wound. 



SPRAINS. 



For sprains of any part of the muscular structure, use one 
of the following prescriptions : — 

Oil of wormwood, 1 ounce. 

Tincture of lobelia, 2 ounces. 

Infusion of hops, 1 quart. 

Mix. Bathe the part twice a day. 

Another. 

Wormwood, ) 

mi , > of each a handful. 

Thoroughwort, 5 

New England rum, 1 pint. 

Set them in a warm place for a few hours, then bathe 
the part with the liquid ; and bind some of the herb on the 
part, if practicable. 



334 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



SCALDS. 

If a dog be accidentally scalded, apply, with as little de- 
lay as possible, — 



Lime water, 
Linseed 



., > equal parts. 



OPHTHALMIA. 



Ophthalmia is supposed to be contagious ; yet a mild form 
may result from external injury, as blows, bruises, or extrane- 
ous bodies introduced under the eyelid. The eye is such a 
delicate and tender organ, that the smallest particle of any 
foreign body lodging on its surface will cause great pain and 
swelling. 

Treatment. — Take a tea-spoonful of finely-pulverized 
marshmallow root, add sufficient hot water to make a thin 
mucilage, and with this wash the eye frequently. Keep the 
animal in a dark place, on a light diet ; and if the eyes are 
very red and tender, give a pill composed of twenty-nine 
grains extract of butternut and ten grains cream of tartar. 

If a purulent discharge sets in, bathe the eye with infu- 
sion of camomile or red rose leaves, and give the following : — 

Powdered pleurisy root, ~\ 

" bloodroot, > equal parts. 

" sulphur, J 

Dose, half a table-spoonful daily. To be given in honey. 
"When the eyelids adhere together, wash with warm milk. 



APPENDIX. DISEASES OF DOGS. 335 



WEAK EYES. 

It often happens that, after an acute attack, the eyes are 
left in a weak state, when there is a copious secretion of fluid 
continually running from them. In such cases, the eyes may 
be washed, night and morning, with pure cold water, and the 
general health must be improved : for the latter purpose, the 
following preparation is recommended : — 

Manna, 1 ounce. 

Powdered gentian, .... 1 tea-spoonful. 

" mandrake, .... half a tea-spoonful. 

Rub them together in a mortar, and give a pill, about the 
size of a hazel-nut, every night. If the manna is dry, a little 
honey will be necessary to amalgamate the mass. 



ELEAS AND VERMIN. 

Fleas and vermin are very troublesome to dogs ; yet they 
may easily be got rid of by bathing the dog with an infusion 
of lobelia for two successive mornings, and afterwards wash- 
ing with water and castile soap. 



HYDROPHOBIA. 

Whenever one dog is bitten by another, and the latter is 
supposed to labor under this dreadful malady, immediate 
steps should be taken to arrest it ; for a dog once bitten by 
another, whatever may be the stage or intensity of the dis- 
ease, is never safe. The disease may appear in a few days ; 
in some instances, it is prolonged for eight months. 



336 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

Symptoms. — Mr. Lawson tells us that "the first symptom 
appears to be a slight failure of the appetite, and a disposition 
to quarrel with other dogs. A total loss of appetite generally 
succeeds. A mad dog will not cry out on being struck, or 
show any sign of fear on being threatened. In the height of 
the disorder, he will bite all other dogs, animals, or men. 
When not provoked, he usually attacks only such as come in 
his way ; but, having no fear, it is very dangerous to strike 
or provoke him. The eyes of mad dogs do not look red or 
fierce, but dull, and have a peculiar appearance, not easy to 
be described. Mad dogs seldom bark, but occasionally utter 
a most dismal and plaintive howl, expressive of extreme dis- 
tress, and which they who have once heard can never forget. 
They do not froth at the mouth ; but their lips and tongue 
appear dry and foul, or slimy. They cannot swallow water." 
Mr. Lawson, and indeed many veterinary practitioners, have 
come to the conclusion that all remedies are fallacious ! * 

Remarks. — In White's Dictionary we are informed that 
the tops of yellow broom have been used for hydrophobia in 
the human subject with great success ; and we do not hesi- 
tate to say that they might be used with equal success on 
beasts. Dr. Muller, of Yienna, has lately published, in the 
Gazette de Sante, some facts which go to show that the yel- 
low broom is invaluable in the treatment of this malady. Dr. 
White tells us that " M. Marochetti gave a decoction of yellow 
broom to twenty-six persons who had been bitten by a mad 
dog, viz., nine men, eleven women, and six children. Upon 
an examination of their tongues, he discovered pimples in 
five men, three children, and in all the women. The seven 

# They probably only allude to cauterization, cutting out the bitten part, 
and the use of poisons. It cannot be expected that such processes and 
agents should ever cure the disease. Let them try our agents before they 
pronounce "all remedies fallacious." Let them try the alisma plantago, 
(plantain,) yellow broom tops, Scutellaria, (skullcap,) lobelia, Greek vale- 
rian, &c. 



APPENDIX. DISEASES OF DOGS. 337 

that were free from pimples took the decoction of broom six 
weeks and recovered." 

The same author informs us that " M. Marochetti, during 
his residence at Ukraine, in the year 1813, attended fifteen 
persons who had been bitten by a mad dog. While he was 
making preparations for cauterizing the wounds, some old 
men requested him to treat the unfortunate people according 
to the directions of a peasant in the neighborhood, who had 
obtained great reputation for the cure of hydrophobia. The 
peasant gave to fourteen persons, placed under his care, a 
strong decoction of the yellow broom ; he examined, twice a 
day, the under part of the tongue, where he had generally 
discovered little pimples, containing, as he supposed, the hy- 
drophobic poison. These pimples at length appeared, and 
were observed by M. Marochetti himself. As they formed, 
the peasant opened them, and cauterized the parts with a red- 
hot needle ; after which the patients gargled with the same 
decoction. The result of this treatment was, that the four- 
teen patients returned cured, having drank the decoction six 
weeks." The following case will prove the value of the 
plantain, (plantago major.) We were called upon, October 
25, 1850, to see a dog, the property of Messrs. Stewart & 
Forbes, of Boston. From the symptoms, we were led to sup- 
pose that the animal was in the incipient stage of canine mad- 
ness. We directed him to be securely fastened, kept on a 
light diet, &c. The next day, a young Newfoundland pup 
was placed in the cellar with the patient, who seized the little 
fellow, and crushed his face and nose in a most shocking 
manner, both eyes being almost obliterated. The poor pup 
lingered in excruciating torment until the owner, considering 
it an act of charity, had it killed. This act of ferocity on the 
part of the patient confirmed our suspicions as to the nature 
of the malady. We commenced the treatment by giving him 
tea-spoonful doses of powdered plantain, (jplantago m,ajor,) 
night and morning, in the food, and in the course of a fort- 
night, the eye (which, during the early stage of the malady, 
had an unhealthy appearance) assumed its natural state, and 
43 



338 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

the appetite returned ; in short, the dog got rapidly well. We 
feel confident that, if this case had been neglected, it might 
have terminated in canine madness. 

We are satisfied that the plantain possesses valuable anti- 
septic and detergent properties. Dr. Beach tells us that "a 
negro at the south obtained his freedom by disclosing a nos- 
trum for the bites of snakes, the basis of which was the plan- 
tain," A writer states that a toad, in fighting with a spider, 
as often as it was bitten, retired a few steps, ate of the plan- 
tain, and then renewed the attack. The person deprived it 
of the plant, and it soon died. 

Treatment. — Let the suspected dog be confined by him- 
self, so that he cannot do injury. Then take two ounces of 
lobelia, and one ounce of sulphur, place them in a common 
wash tub, and add several gallons of boiling water. As soon 
as it is sufficiently cool, plunge the dog into it, and let him 
remain in it several minutes. Then give an infusion of either 
of the following articles : yellow broom, plantain, or Greek 
valerian, one ounce of the herb to a pint of water. An occa- 
sional tea-spoonful of the powdered plantain may be allowed 
with the food, which must be entirely vegetable. If the dog 
has been bitten, wash the part with a strong infusion of lo- 
belia, and bind some of the herb on the part. The treatment 
should be continued for several days, or until the animal re- 
covers, and all danger is past. 

(For information on the causes of madness, the reader is 
referred to my work on the Horse, p. 108.) 



APPENDIX. MALIGNANT MILK SICKNESS. 339 



MALIGNANT MILK SICKNESS OF THE WESTERN STATES, 
OR CONTAGIOUS TYPHUS. 

This name applies to a disease said to be very fatal in the 
Western States, attacking certain kinds of live stock, and also 
persons who make use of the meat and dairy products of such 
cattle. 

The cause, nature, and treatment of this disease is so little 
understood among medical men, and such an alarming mor- 
tality attends their practice, that many of the inhabitants of 
the west and south-west depend entirely on their domestic 
remedies. " It is in that country emphatically one of the 
opprobria medicorurn." Nor are the mineralites any more 
successful in the treatment of other diseases incidental to the 
Great West. Their Peruvian bark, quinine, and calomel, 
immense quantities of which are used without any definite 
knowledge of their modus operandi, fail in a great majority 
of cases. If they were only to substitute powdered charcoal 
and sulphur for calomel, both in view of prevention and cure, 
aided by good nursing, then the mortality would be materi- 
ally diminished. The success attending the treatment of 
upwards of sixty cases of yellow fever, by Mrs. Shall, the 
proprietress of the City Hotel, New Orleans, only one of 
which proved fatal, is attributed to good nursing. She knew 
nothing of blood-letting, calomelizing, or narcotizing. The 
same success attended the practice of Dr. A. Hunn, of Ken- 
tucky, in the treatment of typhus fever, (which resembles 
milk sickness,) who cured every case by plunging his patients 
immediately into a hot bath. 

" The whole indication of cure in this disease is to bring 
on reaction, to recall the poison which is mixed with the 
blood and thrown to the centre, which can only be done by 
inducing a copious perspiration in the most prompt and ener- 
getic manner. If I mistake not, where sweating was produced 
in this complaint, recovery invariably followed, while bleed- 
ing, mercury, &c, only aggravated it." 



340 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

From such facts as these, as well as from numerous others, 
we may learn, that disease is not under the control of the 
boasted science of medicine, as practised by our allopathic 
brethren. Many millions of animals, as well as members of 
the human family, have died from a misapplication of medi- 
cine, and officious meddling. 

The destruction that in former years attended milk sickness 
may be learned from the fact, that in the western settlements, 
its prevalence often served as a cause to disband a community, 
and compel the inhabitants to seek a location which enjoyed 
immunity from its occurrence. The legislatures of several 
of the Western States have offered rewards for the discovery 
of the origin of the milk sickness. No one that we know of 
has ever yet claimed the reward. In view of the great lack 
of information on this subject, we freely contribute our mite, 
which may serve, in some degree, to dispel the impenetrable 
mystery by which it is surrounded. 

We shall first show that it is not produced by the atmos- 
phere alone, which by some is supposed to be the cause. 

" It is often found to occupy an isolated spot, comprehend- 
ing an area of one hundred acres, whilst for a considerable 
distance around it is not produced." 

If the disease had its sole origin in the atmosphere, it would 
not be thus confined to a certain location ; for every one 
knows, that the gentlest zephyr would waft the enemy into 
the surrounding localities, and there the work of destruction 
would commence. The reader is probably aware that bodies 
whose specific gravity exceeds that of air, such as grass, 
seeds, &c, are conveyed through that medium from one field 
to another. The miasma of epidemics is said to be conveyed 
from one district to another " on the wings of the wind." 
Hence, if milk sickness was of atmospheric or even epidemic 
origin, it would prevail in adjoining states. This is not the 
case ; for we are told that "this fatal disease seldom, if ever, 
prevails westward of the Alleghany Mountains or in the bor- 
dering states." 

The atmosphere which surrounds this globe was intended 



APPENDIX. MALIGNANT MILK SICKNESS. 341 

by the divine Artist for the purpose of respiration, and it is 
well adapted to that purpose : it cannot be considered a path- 
ological agent, or a cause of disease. In crowded assem- 
blies, and in close barns and stables, it may hold in solution 
noxious gases, which, as we have already stated in different 
parts of this work, are injurious to the lungs ; but as regards 
the atmosphere itself, in an uncontaminated state, it is a phys- 
iological agent. It always preserves its identity, and is always 
represented by the same equivalents of oxygen, nitrogen, and 
carbonic acid gas. Liebig says, " One hundred volumes of 
air have been found, at every period and in every climate, to 
contain twenty-one volumes of oxygen." 

Thus oxygen and nitrogen unite in certain equivalents : 
the result is atmospheric air ; and they cannot be made to 
unite in any other proportions. Suppose the oxygen to be in 
excess, what would be the result ? A universal conflagration 
would commence ; the hardest rocks, and even the diamond, 
(considered almost indestructible,) would melt with "fervent 
heat." If, on the other hand, nitrogen was in excess, then 
every living thing, including both animal and vegetable, would 
instantly die. Hence we infer that the atmosphere cannot 
be considered as the cause of this disease. 

Causes. — A creeping vine has been supposed to occasion 
the disease. This cannot be the case, for it occurs very fre- 
quently when the ground is covered with snow. We are 
satisfied, although we may not succeed in satisfying the reader, 
that no one cause alone can produce the disease : there must 
be a diminution of vital energy, and this diminution may re- 
sult, first, from poor diet. Dr. Graff tells us that the general 
appearance of these infected districts is somewhat peculiar. 
The quality of the soil is, in general, of an inferior descrip- 
tion. The growth of timber is not observed to be so luxu- 
riant as in situations otherwise similar, but is scrubby, and 
stunted in its perfect development, in many instances simi- 
lating what in the west is denominated ' barrens. 7 " We 
can easily conceive that these barrens do not furnish the proper 



342 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

amount of carbon (in the form of food) for the metamorphosis 
of the tissues ; and if we take into consideration that the ani- 
mal receives, during the day, while in search of this food, a 
large supply of oxygen, and at the same time the waste of 
the body is increased by the extra labor required to select 
sufficient nutriment, — it being scanty in such situations, — 
then it follows that this disproportion between the quantity 
of carbon in the food, and that of oxygen absorbed by the 
skin and lungs, must induce a diseased or abnormal condition. 
The animal is sometimes fat, at others lean. Some of the 
cows attacked with this disease were fat, and in apparent 
health, and nothing peculiar was observed until immediately 
preceding the outbreak of the fatal symptoms. The presence 
of fat is generally proof positive of an abnormal state ; and 
in such cases the liver is often diseased ; the blood then be- 
comes loaded with fat and oil, and is finally deposited in the cel- 
lular tissues. The reader will now understand how an animal 
accumulates fat, notwithstanding it be furnished with insuffi- 
cient diet. All that we wish to contend for is, that in such cases 
vital resistance is compromised. We have observed that, in the 
situation alluded to, vegetation was stunted, &c, and knowing 
that vegetables are composed of nearly the same materials 
which constitute animal organization, — the carbon or fat of 
the former being deposited in the seeds and fruits, and that 
of the latter in the cellular structure, — then we can arrive at 
but one conclusion, viz., that any location unfavorable to 
vegetation is likewise ill adapted to preserve the integrity of 
animal life. 

In connection with this, it must be remembered that during 
the night the soil emits excrementitious vapors, which are 
taken into the animal system by the process of respiration. 
In the act of rumination, vapor is also enclosed in the globules 
of saliva, and thus reach the stomach. Many plants which 
during the day may be eaten with impunity by cattle, actually 
become poisonous during the night ! This, we are aware, will 
meet with some opposition ; to meet which we quote from 
Liebig : — 



APPENDIX. MALIGNANT MILK SICKNESS. 343 

" How powerful, indeed, must the resistance appear which 
the vital force supplies to leaves charged with oil of turpen- 
tine or tannic acid, when we consider the affinity of oxygen 
for these compounds ! 

" This intensity of action, or of resistance, the plant obtains 
by means of the sun's light ; the effect of which in chemical 
actions may be, and is, compared to that of a very high tem- 
perature, (moderate red heat.) 

" During the night, an opposite process goes on in the plant ; 
we see then that the constituents of the leaves and green parts 
combine with the oxygen of the air — a property which in 
daylight they did not possess. 

" From these facts we can draw no other conclusion but 
this : that the intensity of the vital force diminishes with the 
abstraction of light ; that, with the approach of night, a state 
of equilibrium is established ; and that, in complete darkness, 
all those constituents of plants which, during the day, pos- 
sessed the power of separating oxygen from chemical com- 
binations, and of resisting its action, lose their power com- 
pletely. 

"1 precisely similar phenomenon is observed in animals. 

" The living animal body exhibits its peculiar manifesta- 
tions of vitality only at certain temperatures. When exposed 
to a certain degree of cold, these vital phenomena entirely 
cease. 

" The abstraction of heat must, therefore, be viewed as 
quite equivalent to a diminution of the vital energy ; the re- 
sistance opposed by the vital force to external causes of dis- 
turbance must diminish, in certain temperatures, in the same 
ratio in which the tendency of the elements of the body to 
combine with the oxygen of the air increases." 

Secondly. In the situations alluded to, we generally find 
poisonous and noxious plants, with an abundance of decayed 
vegetable matter. An English writer has said, Ci The farmers 
of England might advantageously employ a million at least 
of additional laborers in clearing their wide domains of nox- 



344 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

ious plants,* which would amply repay them in the superior 
quality of their produce. They would then feel the truth of 
that axiom in philosophy, "that he who can contrive to make 
two blades of grass, or wholesome grain, grow where one 
poisonous plant grew before, is a greater benefactor to the 
human race than all the conquerors or heroes who have ever 
lived." The noxious plants found in such abundance in the 
Western States are among the principal causes, either directly 
or indirectly, of the great mortality among men, horses, cattle, 
and sheep. The hay would be just as destructive as when 
in its green state, were it not that, in the process of drying, 
the volatile and poisonous properties of the buttercup, dande-. 
lion, poppy, and hundreds of similar destructive plants found 
in the hay, evaporate. It is evident that if animals have par- 
taken of such plants, although death in all cases do not imme- 
diately follow, there must be a deficiency of vital resistance, 
or loss of equilibrium, and the animal is in a negative state. 
It is consequently obvious that when in such a state it is 
more liable to receive impressions from external agents — in 
short, is more subject to disease, and this disease may assume 
a definite form, regulated by location. 

Thirdly. A loss of vital resistance may result from drinking 
impure water. (See Watering, p. 15.) Dr. Graff tells us 
that " another peculiar appearance, which serves to distin- 
guish these infected spots, is the breaking forth of numerous 
feeble springs, called oozes, furnishing but a trifling supply 

# The American farmers are just beginning to wake up on this subject, 
and before long we hope to see our pasture lands free from all poisonous 
plants. Dr. Whitlaw says, " A friend of mine had two fields cleared of 
buttercups, dandelion, ox-eye, daisy, sorrel, hawk-weed, thistles, mullein, 
and a variety of other poisonous or noxious plants : they were dried, burnt, 
and their ashes strewed over the fields. He had them sown as usual, and 
found that the crops of hay and pasturage were more than double what they 
had been before. I was furnished with butter for two successive summers 
during the months of July and August of 1827. The butter kept for thirty 
days, and proved, at the end of that time, better than that fresh churned and 
brought to the Brighton or Margate markets. It would bear salting at that 
season of the year." 



APPENDIX. MALIGNANT MILK SICKNESS. 345 

of water." Such water is generally considered unwhole- 
some, and will, of course, deprive the system of its vital re- 
sistance, if partaken of. 

Fourthly. A loss of vital resistance may result from expo- 
sure ; for it is well known that cattle which have been regu- 
larly housed every night have escaped the attacks of this 
malady, and that when suffered to remain at large, they were 
frequently seized with it. 

Lastly. The indirect causes of milk fever exist in any thing 
that can for a time prevent the free and full play of any part 
of the animal functions. The direct causes of death are 
chemical action, resulting from decomposition, which over- 
comes the vital principle. 

Professor Liebig tells us, that " chemical action is opposed 
by the vital principle. The results produced depend upon 
the strength of their respective actions ; either an equilibrium 
of both powers is attained, or the acting body yields to the 
superior force. If chemical action obtains the ascendency, it 
acts as a poison." 

Remarks. — Let us suppose that one, or a combination of 
the preceding causes, has operated so as to produce an ab- 
normal state in the system of a cow. She is then suffered to 
remain in the unhealthy district during the night : while there, 
exposed to the emanations from the soil, she requires the 
whole force of her vital energies to ward off chemical decom- 
positions, and prevent encroachment on the various functions. 
A contest commences between the vital force and chemical 
action, and, after a hard conflict in their incessant endeavors 
to overcome each other, the chemical agency obtains the 
ascendency, and disease of a putrid type (milk fever) is the 
result. The disease may not immediately be recognized, for 
the process of decomposition may be insidious , yet the milk 
and flesh of such an animal may communicate the disease to 
man and other animals. It is well known that almost any 
part of animal bodies in a state of putrefaction, such as milk, 
cheese, muscle, pus, &c, communicate their own state of 
44 



346 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

decomposition to other bodies. Many eminent medical men 
have lost their lives while dissecting, simply by putrefactive 
matter coming in contact with a slight wound or puncture. 
Dr. Graff made numerous experiments on dogs with the flesh, 
&c, of animals having died of milk sickness. He says, M My 
trials with the poisoned flesh were, for the most part, made on 
dogs, which I confined ; and I often watched the effect of the 
poison when administered at regular intervals. In the space 
of forty-eight hours from the commencement of the adminis- 
tration of either the butter, cheese, or flesh, I have observed 
unequivocal appearances of their peculiar action, while the 
appetite remains unimpaired until the expiration of the fourth 
or fifth day." From the foregoing remarks, the reader will 
agree with us, that the disease is of a putrid type, and has a 
definite character. What is the reason of this definite char- 
acter ? All diseases are under the control of the immutable 
laws of nature. They preserve their identity in the same 
manner that races of men preserve theirs. Milk sickness of 
the malignant type luxuriates in the locations referred to, for 
the same reasons that yellow fever is peculiar to warm cli- 
mates, and consumption to cold ones ; and that different 
localities have distinct diseases ; for example, ship fever, jail 
fever, &c. 

Before disease can attack, and develop itself in the bodies 
of men or animals, the existing equilibrium of the vital powers 
must be disturbed j and the most common causes of this dis- 
turbance we have already alluded to. In reference to the 
milk, butter, cheese, &c, of infected animals, and their adapta- 
tion to develop disease in man, and in other locations than 
those referred to, we observe, that when a quantity, however 
small, of contagious matter is introduced into the stomach, 
if its antiseptic properties are the least deranged, the original 
disease (milk sickness) is produced, just as a small quantity 
of yeast will ferment a whole loaf. The transformation takes 
place through the medium of the blood, and produces a body 
identical with, or similar to, the exciting or contagious matter. 
The quantity of the latter must constantly augment ; for the 



APPENDIX. MALIGNANT MILK SICKNESS. 347 

state of change or decomposition which affects one particle 
of the blood is imparted to others. The time necessary to 
accomplish it, however, depends on the amount of vital resist- 
ance, and of course varies in different animals. In process 
of time, the whole body becomes affected, and in like man- 
ner it is communicated to other individuals ; and this may 
take place by simply respiring the carbonic acid gas, or mor- 
bific materials from the lungs, of diseased animals in the in- 
fected districts. 

We are told that the latent condition of the disease may be 
discovered by subjecting the suspected animal to a violent 
degree of exercise. This is a precaution practised by butch- 
ers before slaughtering animals in any wise suspected of the 
poisonous contamination j * for according to the intensity of 
the existing cause, or its dominion over the vital power, it 
will be seized with tremors, spasms, convulsions, or even 
death. The reader is, probably, aware that an excess of mo- 

* Unfortunately, they do not all practise it. Dr. Graff says, " There is a 
murderous practice now carried on in certain districts, in which the inhabit- 
ants will not themselves consume the butter and cheese manufactured ; but, 
with little solicitude for the lives or health of others, they send it, in large 
quantities, to be sold in the cities of the west, particularly Louisville, Ken- 
tucky, and St. Louis, Missouri. Of the truth of this I am well apprised by 
actual observation ; and I am as certain that it has often caused death in 
those cities, when the medical attendants viewed it as some anomalous form 
of disease, not suspecting the means by which poison had been conveyed 
among them. Physicians of the latter city, having been questioned partic- 
ularly on this subject, have mentioned to me a singular and often fatal dis- 
ease, which appeared in certain families, the cases occurring simultaneous- 
ly, and all traces of it disappearing suddenly, and which I cannot doubt 
were the result of poisoned butter or cheese. This recklessness of human 
life it should be our endeavor to prevent ; and the heartless wretches who 
practise it should be brought to suffer a punishment commensurate with the 
enormity of their crime. From the wide extent of the country in which it 
is carried on, we readily perceive the difficulties to be encountered in the 
effort to put a stop to the practice. This being the case, our next proper 
aim should be to investigate the nature of the cause, and establish a more 
proper plan of treatment, by which it may be robbed of its terrors, and the 
present large proportionate mortality diminished." 



348 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

tion will sometimes cause instant death ; for both men and 
animals, supposed to be in excellent health, are known to die 
suddenly from excessive labor. In some cases of excess of 
muscular exertion, the active force in living parts may be 
entirely destroyed in producing these violent mechanical re- 
sults : hence we have a loss of equilibrium between voluntary 
and involuntary motion, and there is not sufficient vitality 
left to carry on the latter. Professor Liebig says, " A stag 
may be hunted to death. The condition of metamorphosis 
into which it has been brought by an enormous consumption 
both of force and of oxygen continues when all phenomena 
of motion have ceased, and the flesh becomes uneatable. " 
A perfect equilibrium, therefore, between the consumption of 
vital force for the supply of waste, protecting the system from 
encroachments, and for mechanical effects, must exist ; the 
animal is then in health : the contrary is obvious. 

Treatment. — The greatest care must be taken to secure 
the patient good nutritious food, pure air, and water. The 
food should consist of a mixture of two or more of the fol- 
lowing articles, which must be cooked : linseed, parsnips, 
shorts, carrots, meal, apples, barley, oats, turnips, slippery 
elm, oil cake, &c. We again remind the reader that no sin- 
gle or compound medicine can be procured that will be suita- 
ble for every stage of the disease ; it must be treated accord- 
ing to its indications. Yet the following compound, aided by 
warmth, moisture, and friction, externally, will be found 
better than any medicine yet known. It consists of 



Powdered charcoal, 8 ounces. 

" sulphur, 2 ounces. 

Fine salt, 3 ounces. 

Oatmeal, 2 pounds. 

Mandrake, {podophyllum peltatum,) . . 1 ounce. 

After the ingredients are well mixed, divide the mass into 
fourteen parts, and give one night and morning. 



APPENDIX. MALIGNANT MILK SICKNESS. 349 

Special Treatment with reference to the Symptoms. — 
Suppose the animal to be "off her feed," and the bowels are 
constipated ; then give an aperient composed of 

Extract of butternut, ... 2 drachms. 

Powdered capsicum, . . . one third of a tea-spoonful. 

Thoroughwort tea, ... 2 quarts. 

To be given at a dose, taking care to pour it down the 
throat in a gradual manner ; for, if poured down too quick, it 
will fall into the paunch. If the rectum is suspected to be 
loaded with excrement, make use of the common soap-suds 
injection. 

If the animal appears to walk about without any apparent 
object in view, there is reason to suppose that the brain is 
congested. This may be verified if the sclerotica (white of 
the eye) is of a deep red color. The following will be 
indicated : — 

Mandrake, (podophyllum peltatum,) 1 table-spoonful. 

Sulphur, . . 1 tea-spoonful. 

Cream of tartar, ....... 1 tea-spoonful. 

Hot water, 2 quarts. 

To be given at a dose. At the same time apply cold water 
to the head, and rub the spine and legs (below the knees) 
with the following counter-irritant : — 

Powdered bloodroot or cayenne, . . 1 ounce. 

" black pepper, .... half an ounce. 
Boiling vinegar, 1 quart. 

Rub the mixture in while hot, with a piece of flannel. 
If a trembling of the muscular system is observed, then 
give 

Powdered ginger, -\ 

« cinnamon, ( of each half 

« goldenseal, .... > a tea-spoonful. 

To be given at a dose, in half a gallon of catnip tea. Aid 



350 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

the vital powers in producing a crisis by the warmth and 
moisture, as directed in the treatment of colds, &c. 

It is necessary to keep the rectum empty by means of in- 
jections, forms of which will be found in this work. 

The remedies we here recommend can be safely and suc- 
cessfully used by those unskilled in medicine ; and, when 
aided by proper attention to the diet, ventilation, and comfort 
of the patient, we do not hesitate to say (provided, however, 
they are resorted to in the early stages) they will cure forty- 
nine cases out of fifty, without the advice of a physician. 



APPENDIX. BONE DISORDER IN COWS. 351 



BONE DISORDER IN COWS. 

We have frequently seen accounts, in various papers, of 
•'bone disorder in milch cows." The bony structure of ani- 
mals is composed of vital solids studded with crystallizations 
of saline carbonates and phosphates, and is liable to take on 
morbid action similar to other textures. Disease of the bones 
may originate constitutionally, or from derangement of the 
digestive organs. We have, for example, mollities ossium, 
(softening of the bones ;) the disease, however, is very rare. 
It may be known by the substance of the bones being soft 
and yielding, liable to bend with small force. 

We have also fragilitas ossium, (brittleness of bones.) 
This is characterized by the bony system being of a friable 
nature, and liable to be fractured by slight force. We have 
in our possession the fragments of the small pastern of a 
horse, the bone having been broken into seventeen pieces, by 
a slight concussion, without any apparent injury to the skin 
and cellular substance ; not the slightest external injury could 
be perceived. 

There are several other diseases of the bones, which, we 
presume, our readers are acquainted with ; such as exostosis, 
caries, &c, neither of which apply to the malady under con- 
sideration. We merely mention these for the purpose of 
showing that the bones are not exempt from disease, any 
more than other structures ; yet it does not always follow 
that a lack of the phosphate of lime in cow's milk is a sure 
sign of diseased bones. 

Reader, we do not like the term " hone disorder : " it does 
not throw the least light on the nature of the malady ; it 
savors too much of " horn ail" "tail ail" — terms which 
only apply to symptoms. We are told also that, in this dis- 
ease, " the bones threaten to cave in — have wasted away." 
If they do threaten to cave in, the best way we know of to 



352 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

give them an outward direction is, to promote the healthy- 
secretions and excretions by a well-regulated diet, and to 
stimulate the digestive organs to healthy action. If the bones 
" have wasted away," we should like to have a few of them 
in our collection of morbid anatomy. That the bones should 
waste away, and be capable of assuming their original shape 
simply by feeding bone meal, is something never dreamt of 
in our philosophy.* Besides, if the cows get well, (we are 
told they do,) then we must infer that the bones possess the 
properties of sudden expansion and contraction, similar to those 
of the muscles. It may be well for us to observe, that not 
only the bones, but all parts of animal organization, expand 
and contract in an imperceptible manner. Thus, up to the 
period of puberty, all parts expand : old age comes on, and 
with it a gradual wasting and collapse. This is a natural 
result — one of the uncompromising laws of nature, over 
which human agency (bone meal included) has not the least 
control. If the bones are diseased, it results either from im- 
paired digestion or a disproportion between the carbon of the 
food and the oxygen respired ; hence the " bone disorder," 
not being persistent, is only a result — a symptom; and as 
such we view it. As far as we have been able to ascertain 
the nature of the malady, as manifested by the symptoms, 
{caving in, wasting, absence of phosphate of lime in the 
milk, &c.,) we give it as our opinion, — and we think our 
medical brethren will agree with us, (although we do not 
often agree,) — that "bone disorder" is a symptom of a dis- 
ease very prostrating in its character, originating in the diges- 
tive organs ; hence not confined to the bones, but affecting 
all parts of the animal more or less. And the only true plan 
of treatment consists in restoring healthy action to the whole 

* Whenever there is a deficiency of carbon, bone meal may assist to sup- 
port combustion in the lungs, and by that means restore healthy action of 
the different functions, provided, however, the digestive organs, aided by the 
vital power, can overcome the chemical action by which the atoms of bone 
meal are held together. 



APPENDIX. BONE DISORDER IN COWS. 353 

animal system. The ways and means of accomplishing this 
object are various. If it is clearly ascertained that the animal 
system is deficient in phosphate of lime, we see no good rea- 
son why bone meal should not be included among oar reme- 
dial agents ; yet, as corn meal and linseed contain a large 
amount of phosphate, we should prefer them to bone dust, 
although we do not seriously object to its use. 

The value of food or remedial agents consists in their 
adaptation to assimilation ; in other words, an absence of 
chemical properties. These may be very complex ; yet, if 
they are only held together by a weak chemical action, they 
readily yield to the vital principle, and are transformed. 
Atoms of bones are held together by a strong chemical affin- 
ity ; and the vital principle, in order to convert bone dust 
into component parts of the organism, must employ more 
force to transform them than it would require for the same 
purpose when corn meal or linseed were used, their chemical 
affinity being weaker than that of bones. 

In the treatment of any disease, we always endeavor to 
ascertain its causes, and, if possible, remove them ; and what- 
ever may be indicated we endeavor to supply to the system. 
Thus, if phosphates were indicated, we should use them. 
In cases of general debility, however, we should prefer lin- 
seed or corn meal, aided by stimulants, to bone dust. Why 
not use the bone dust for manure ? The animal would then 
have the benefit of it in its fodder. 

In reference to a deficiency of phosphate of lime in the 
milk, we would observe, that it may result either from im- 
paired digestion, (in such cases, a large amount of that article 
may be expelled from the system in the form of excrements,) 
or the food may lack it. We then have a sick plant, for we 
believe that the phosphate of lime is as necessary for the 
growth of the plant as it seems to be for animal develop- 
ment. If the plant lacks this important constituent, then 
its vitality, as a whole, will be impaired. This is all we 
desire to contend for in the animal, viz., that the disease 
45 



354 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

is general, and cannot be considered or treated as a local 
affection. 

It has been observed that successive cultivation exhausts 
the soil, and deprives it of the constituents necessary for 
vegetable development. If so, it follows that there will be a 
deficiency of silecia, carbonate of lime, — in short, a loss of 
carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen, not of phosphate of 
lime alone. 

The fields might be made to produce the requisite amount 
of nutriment by replacing every year, in the form of animal 
excrement, straw, wood-ashes, and charcoal, as much as we 
remove from them in the form of produce. An increase of. 
crop can only be obtained when we add more to the soil than 
we take away from it. 

" In Flanders, the yearly loss of the necessary matters in 
the soil is completely restored by covering the fields with 
ashes of wood or bones, which may, or may not, have been 
lixiviated. The great importance of manuring with ashes has 
been long recognized by agriculturists as the result of experi- 
ence. So great a value, indeed, is attached to this material 
in the vicinity of Marburg, and in the Wetterau, — two well- 
known agricultural districts, — that it is transported, as a 
manure, from the distance of eighteen or twenty-four miles. 
Its use will be at once perceived, when it is considered that 
the ashes, after being washed with water, contain silicate of 
potass exactly in the same proportion as in the straw, and that 
their only other constituents are salts of phosphoric acid." 

It is well known that phosphate of lime, potass, silecia, 
carbonate of lime, magnesia, and soda are discharged in the 
excrement and urine of the cow ; and this happens when 
they are not adapted to assimilation as well as when present 
in excess. If it is clearly proved that the bones of a 
cow are weak, then we should be inclined to prescribe 
phosphates ; if they are brittle, we should prescribe gelat- 
inous preparations ; but not ill the form of bone dust : 
we should use linseed, which is known to be rich in phos- 



APPENDIX. BONE DISORDER IN COWS. 355 

phates. At the same time, the general health must be 
improved. 

It is well known that some cows cannot be fattened, al- 
though they have an abundance of the best kind of fodder. 
In such cases, we find the digestive organs deranged, which 
disturbs the equilibrium of the whole animal economy. The 
food may then be said to be a direct cause of disease. 

The effects of insufficient food are well known ; debility 
includes them all. If there is not sufficient carbon in the 
food, the animal is deprived of the power of reproducing it- 
self, and the cure consists in supplying the deficiency. At 
the same time, every condition of nutrition should be consid- 
ered ; and if the function of digestion is impaired, we must 
look to those of absorption, circulation, and secretion also, for 
they will be more or less involved. If the appetite is im- 
paired, accompanied by a loss of cud, it shows that the stom- 
ach is overloaded, or that its function is suspended: simu- 
lants and tonics are then indicated. A voracious appetite 
indicates the presence of morbid accumulations in the stom- 
ach and bowels, and they should be cleansed by aperients ; 
after which, a change of diet will generally effect a cure. 
When gas accumulates in the intestines, we have evidence 
of a loss of vital power in the digestive organs ; fermentation 
takes place before the food can be digested. 

The cure consists in restoring the lost function. Diarrhoea 
is generally caused by exposure, (taking cold,) or by eating 
poisons and irritating substances ; the cure may be accom- 
plished by removing the cold, and cleansing the system of 
the irritants. Costiveness often arises from the absorption of 
the fluids from the solids in their slow progress through the 
intestines ; exercise will then be indicated. An occasional 
injection, however, may be given, if necessary. General de- 
bility, we have said, may arise from insufficient food ; to 
which we may add the popular practice of milking the cow 
while pregnant, much of which milk is yielded at the hazard 
of her own health and that of her foetus. Whatever is taken 



356 AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 

away from the cow in the form of milk ought to be replaced 
by the food. Proper attention, however, must be paid to the 
state of the digestive organs : they must not be overtaxed 
with indigestible substances. With this object in view, we 
recommend a mixed diet ; for no animal can subsist on a sin- 
gle article of food. Dogs die, although fed on jelly ; they 
cannot live upon white bread, sugar, or starch, if these are 
given as food, to the exclusion of all other substances. 
Neither can a horse or cow live on hay alone : they will, 
sooner or later, give evidences of disease. They require 
stimulants. Common salt is a good stimulant. This ex- 
plains why salt hay should be occasionally fed to milch cows ; 
it not only acts as a stimulant, but is also an antiseptic, pre- 
venting putrefaction, &c. 

A knowledge of the constituents of milk may aid the 
farmer in selecting the substances proper for the nourishment 
of animals, and promotive of the lacteal secretion ; for much 
of the food contains those materials united, though not al- 
ways in the same form. " The constituents of milk are 
cheese, or caseine — a compound containing nitrogen in large 
proportion ; butter, in which hydrogen abounds ; and sugar 
of milk, a substance with a large quantity of hydrogen and 
oxygen in the same proportions as in water. It also contains, 
in solution, lactate of soda, phosphate of lime, (the latter in 
very small quantities,) and common salt ; and a peculiar aro- 
matic product exists in the butter, called butyric acid." — 
Liebig. 

It is very difficult to explain the changes which the food 
undergoes in the animal laboratory, (the stomach,) because 
that organ is under the dominion of the vital force — an imma- 
terial agency which the chemist cannot control. Yet we are 
justified in furnishing the animal with the elements of its 
own organization ; for although they may not be deposited in 
the different structures in their original atoms, they may be 
changed into other compounds, somewhat similar. Liebig tells 
us that whether the elements of non-azotized food take an im- 



APPENDIX. 



BONE DISORDER IN COWS. 



357 



mediate share in the act of transformation of tissues, or whether 
their share in that process be an indirect one, is a question 
probably capable of being resolved by careful and cautious 
experiment and observation. It is possible that these constit- 
uents of food, after undergoing some change, are carried 
from the intestinal canal directly to the liver, and that there 
they are converted into bile, where they meet with the prod- 
ucts of the metamorphosed tissues, and subsequently complete 
their course through the circulation. 

This opinion appears more probable, when we reflect that 
as yet no trace of starch or sugar has been detected in arterial 
blood, not even in animals that have been fed exclusively 
with these substances. 

The following tables, from Liebig's Chemistry, will give 
the reader the difference between what is taken into the sys- 
tem and what passes out. 



FOOD CONSUMED BY A COW IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS. 



Articles of food. 


Weight 
in the 
fresh 
state. 


Weight 

in the 

dry 

state. 


Carbon. 


Hydro- 
gen. 


Oxygen. 


Nitro- 
gen. 


Salts 

and 

earthy 

matters. 


Potatoes, 
After grass, 
Water, 


15000 4170 
7500 6315 
60000 — 


1839.0 
2974.4 


241.9 
353.6 


1830.6 
2204.0 


50.0 

15 J .5 


208.5 

631.5 

50.0 


j Total, 


82500 j 10485 


4813.4 


595.5 


4034.6 


201.5 


889.0 


EXCRETIONS OF A COW IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS. 


Excretions. 


Weight 
in the 
fresh 
state. 


Weight 
in the 

dry 
state. 


Carbon. 


Hydro- 
gen. 


Oxygen. 


Nitro- 
gen. 


i 

Salts 

and 

earthy 

matters. 


Excrements, 
Urine, 

Milk, 


28413 

8200 
8539 


4000.0 

960.8 

1150.6 


1712.0 
261.4 

628.2 


208.0 
25.0 
99.0 


1508.0 
253.7 
321.0 


92.0 
36.5 
46.0 


480.0 

384.2 

56.4 


Total, 


45152 


6111.4 


2601.6 


332.0 


2082.7 


174.5 


920.6 


Total of first 

part of this 

table, 


82500 


10485.0 


4813.4 


595.5 


4034.6 


201.5 


889.0 


Difference, 1 37348 


4374.6 


2211.8 


263.5 


1951.9 


27.0 


31.6 



358 



AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR. 



FOOD CONSUMED BY A HORSE IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS. 



Articles of food. 


Weight 
in the 
fresh 
state. 


Weight 

in the 

dry 

state. 


Carbon. 


Hydro- 
gen. 


Oxygen. 


Nitro- 
gen. 


Salts 

and 

earthy 

matters. 


Hay, 
Oats, 
Water, 


7500 

2270 

16000 


6465 
1927 


2961.0 
977.0 


323.2 
123.3 


2502.0 
707.2 


97.0 
42.4 


581.8 
77.1 
13.3 


Total, 


25770 


8392 


3938.0 


446.5 


3209.2 


139.4 


672.2 



EXCRETIONS OF A HORSE IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS. 



Excretions. 


Weight 
in the 

fresh 
state. 


Weight 

in the 

dry 

state. 


Carbon. 


Hydro- 
gen. 


Oxygen. 


Nitro- 
gen. 


... 

Salts 

and 

earthy 

matters. 


Urine, 
Excrements, 


1330 
14250 


302 
3525 


108.7 
1364.4 


11.5 

179.8 


34.1 
1328.9 


37.8 
77.6 


109.9 
574.6 


Total, 


15580 


3827 


1472.9 


191.3 


1363.0 


115.4 


684.5 


Total of first 

part of this 

table, 


25770 


8392 


3938.0 


446.5 


3209.2 


139.4 


672.2 
12.3 


Difference, 


10190 


4565 | 2465.1 


255.2 


1846.2 


24.0 



The weights in these tables are given in grammes. 1 gramme is equal to 
15.44 grains Troy, very nearly. 



It will be seen from these tables that a large proportion of 
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and earthy matters are 
again returned to the soil. Prom this we infer that more of 
these matters being present in the food than were requisite 
for the purpose of assimilation, they were removed from the 
system in the form of excrement. Two suggestions here 
present themselves for the consideration of the farmer, viz., 
that the manure increases in value in proportion to the rich- 
ness of food, and that more of the latter is often given to a 
cow than is necessary for the manufacture of healthy chyle. 

In view, then, of preventing " bone disorder," which we 
have termed indigestion, we should endeavor to ascertain 
what articles are best for food, and learn, from the experience 
of others, what have been universally esteemed as such, and, 
by trying them on our own animals, prove whether we actu- 



APPENDIX. BONE DISORDER IN COWS. 359 

ally find them so. Scalded or boiled food is better adapted 
to the stomach of animals than food otherwise prepared, and 
is so much less injurious. The agents that act on the inter- 
nal system are those which, in quantities sufficient for an 
ordinary meal, supply the animal system with stimulus and 
nutriment just enough for its wants, and contain nothing in 
their nature inimical to the vital operations. All such articles 
are properly termed food. (For treatment, see Hide-bound, 
p. 196.) 



THE 

AMEEIC AN 



INSURANCE COMPANY, 

VINCENNES, INDIANA. 
Charter Unlimited: Granted January 2d, 1850. 

CAPITAL— $100,000. 

$50,000 PAID IN. 

(£7» STOCKHOLDERS INDIVIDUALLY LIABLE. *£Q 

FOR THE INSURANCE OF 

HORSES, MULES, PRIZE BULLS, SHEEP, AND CATTLE, 

Of Every Description, 

Against the combined risks of FIRE, WATER, ACCIDENTS, and DIS- 
EASE ; also, upon Stock driven to Markets, or transported. 

£W Losses paid and settled in 30 days after proof of death, in currency of, 
and by laws of, States where Risks are taken. 

"Indemnity is what the community want: why not, then, with the same 
propriety, insure horses and cattle against fire, as a building ? Both are liable. 
Against accidents on ferry boats, vessels, crossing bridges, &c, &c, as to insure 
a ship against its perils, or a steamboat against blowing up or sinking ? Why 
not insure horses and cattle against disease or death, to which they are liable, 
for the benefit of the owner, as to insure a man's life for the benefit of his 
family? None can, therefore, doubt the propriety of the enterprise, or its 
utility and benefit to the community. The capital is all held by highly re- 
sponsible men, and is wholly unimpaired ; and the public may rest assured 
the business will be faithfully and honorably conducted." 

Hon. JOSEPH G. BOWMAN, President. 
J. COOMBS REILEY, Secretary. 

WM. BURTCH, Treasurer, Merchant, and President Vincennes Branch of State 

Bank, Ind. 



The Subscriber is authorized to issue Policies for the above-named institution, on 
as favorable terms as any responsible company. 

MARSHALL P. WILDER, Jr., 
5 & 6 Scollay's Building, Tremont Row, Boston, Mass., 

General Aoent for Massachusetts and Vermont. 



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